The government of the United Arab Emirates has given permission for ports to begin carrying out crew changes, provided they adhere to newly drafted protocols.
The move is in contrast to many Asian countries backtracking on allowing crew changes because of regional spikes in Covid-19 cases.
While crew changes have been possible in Dubai for some time, the measures now make it possible to carry out crew changes in other ports such as Fujairah, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Khorfakkan.
Shipmanagers told TradeWinds that this is especially welcome as opening up Fujairah — the region’s main bunkering port — will negate the costly need of large tankers to divert to Dubai or Singapore to change crews.
This has been a particularly challenging situation for ships operating between the Middle East, Asia and Africa, where almost all ports do not allow crew changes.
Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia each announced last week that they would be restricting the circumstances under which crew changes would be permitted — and, in Malaysia’s case, imposing lengthy quarantine periods for joining or leaving crews.
The countries cited an increase in the number of arriving seafarers testing positive for the coronavirus, and also concerns over the tampering of test results for crews arriving from the Philippines.
The number of Covid-19 outbreaks on oceangoing vessels far exceeds the ones that make it in the press, one Athens insider told TradeWinds.
"You only hear about those cases, which certain ports and authorities care to publicly announce, but there are plenty of others around the world," the manager said.
Coronavirus outbreaks on ships have been reported over the past few weeks in Norway, Greece, Hong Kong and Belgium.
Additional precautions
The UAE's new protocols covering crew changes, as detailed by the UAE’s Federal Transport Authority in a government notice issued this week, are similar to those in place in many other countries that currently permit crew changes.
But, as an added precaution, joining and disembarking crews are required to undergo a Covid-19 test upon arrival in the country.
Local agents are responsible to ensure seafarers are transferred directly between the airport and their vessel and vice versa.
Shipyards are required to take the temperatures of crews from ships in their facility on a daily basis.
Shore leave for crews on ships calling at UAE ports remains suspended, as does the carriage of passengers on cruiseships and ferries.
