Following the pandemic situation, Maritime NZ updated its COVID-19 guidance for the maritime industry, port supply chain and transport operators.
According to Maritime NZ, physical distancing no longer needs to be observed on public transport services, including ferry operators.
In fact, the change only applies onboard the ferry, there is no change to physical distancing measures at the ferry terminals.
Although, passengers are still encouraged to keep their distance from others where it is possible to do so, while there is no change to mandatory face covering requirements.
What is more, the Ministry of Health has updated the health order and the guidance concerning Required Testing.
This order extends the requirement for mandatory testing of all “higher-risk” workers to all maritime ports that receive a ship from a location outside of New Zealand.
…Maritime NZ noted.
For higher-risk workers at ports that receive infrequent international vessels, testing only needs to take place when a vessel actually comes to the port.
Testing should take place within a fortnight of the worker’s interaction with a vessel. If an international vessel arrives within 14 days of the previous international vessel arriving, tests should only take place every 14 days and not when the new arrival occurs.
The higher-risk workers at all maritime ports that receive vessels from outside New Zealand, included under this updated testing regime include:
- pilots carrying out work on or around an affected ship
- stevedores carrying out work on or around an affected ship
- persons who board, or have boarded, an affected ship
- workers who transport persons to or from an affected ship (for example, the crew who transport the pilot to and from an affected vessel and port security staff transporting someonefrom the gate to the ship.
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