Singapore is relaxing some elements of its crew change requirements, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) has confirmed.
The city state had previously required crews to serve a 14-day quarantine prior to departing their country of origin for Singapore.
However, Singapore has agreed to reduce that to a seven-day quarantine if the crew member comes from what is described as a “low risk” country or region.
Currently Singapore’s Ministry of Health considers only nationals from Brunei Darussalam and New Zealand to fit that criteria.
Singapore first revised its crew change requirements on 1 September 2020 together with the setting up of a crew facilitation center.
“After undergoing some weeks of this protocol, the MPA has now issued another circular revising the crew change requirements to take into account of some practicality issues,” Bimco said in a note to members.
For example, a crew member must now obtain a negative Covid-19 test result not more than 72 hours rather than 48 hours prior to departure flight to Singapore as requested earlier.
The test must be a polymerase chain reaction (PCR type) taken at a government -approved or ISO 151189-accredited testing facility.
During the entire crew change process, especially during the journey to join the ship in Singapore, the crew should not be in a group of more than five persons, and must remain in the same group.
"There must be no interactions between groups," MPA said.
If crew member was previously tested Covid-19 positive, that crew member must submit documentary proof of past diagnosis based on the earliest positive PCR test result.
However, that if the date of the PCR test is 21 days or fewer before date of Singapore arrival, that crew member will not be approved for crew change, according to the MPA.
"For crew changes to take place safely, MPA continues to expect all owners, agents, ships and individuals to ensure that the Covid-19 preventive measures are followed strictly. Any breach will be taken seriously," the maritime regulator said.
