Maritime officials in Queensland, Australia have ordered all foreign trading ships to essentially self-quarantine before entering their ports due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Specifically, the guidance applies to all masters of all ships in Queensland waters intending to enter a Queensland pilotage area if:
- the ship left, or transited through a port outside Australian Territorial Waters after 2359 hours Australian Standard Time on 15 March 2020, or
- any crew or other person on board (a relevant person) has travelled to or transited through a country outside Australia after 2359 hours Australian Standard Time on 15 March 2020.
Unless prior written approval has been obtained from the General Manager of Maritime Safety Queensland.
The advice highlights that
The ship must not enter a Queensland pilotage area until 14 days have elapsed since the ship or any relevant person on board the ship left a country outside Australia, whichever is later.
This specifically means that:
- a ship which departed a port outside Australian Territorial Waters after 2359 on 15 March 2020, will not be able to enter a Queensland pilotage area until 14 days after the ship left the port.
- if after leaving that port the ship took aboard a person who had been present in a country outside Australia after 2359 on 15 March, the ship may not enter a Queensland pilotage area until 14 days after the person left the country outside Australia
Concluding, vessels are advised to contact port authorities if crew member or passenger is showing any coronavirus symptoms that include fever, flu-like symptoms cough, sore throat, headache or difficulty breathing.
