text from noonsite
https://www.noonsite.com/news/novel-...try-worldwide/
Countries that have implemented extra precautions or screening for recreational yachts due to the Coronavirus include:
EUROPE
Italy:
Any boat/ship arriving in an Italian port from abroad must contact prior to arrival (6-12 hrs) the relevant USMAF (Border Maritime Health Office) to get health clearance.
You will be asked to fill in a Maritime Declaration of Health and send it to USMAF with a crew list. Ideally contact USMAF by
phone or e-mail and complete all forms before leaving your last port.
A list of USMAF offices can be found here.
Ministry of Health Announcement (in Italian).
Italy Formalities
Ireland:
For ships entering Irish
ports. Masters are required to:
1. Complete and submit a “Maritime Declaration of Health”, via the SafeSeasIreland portal, where:
A ship has called to
China within the past 30 days, or
Crew members or passengers have joined the ship having been in China within the past 14 days, or
There is suspected contact with the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), or
There is a suspected Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) case on-board,
and
2. Submit an updated Crew List via SafeSeasIreland.
This information, at points 1 and 2 above, is required to be submitted whether or not there is a suspected case on-board.
Queries regarding this
Marine Notice can be forwarded to
ehnationaloffice@hse.ie.
Additional guidance from the HSE is available here.
Note: SafeSeasIreland currently has a glitch, so for the time being use the e-mail
ehnationaloffice@hse.ie to obtain the Maritime Declaration of Health.
Ireland Formalities
Information from
Marine Notice #6 of 2020 by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Dublin, Ireland
NORTH
INDIAN OCEAN
India – Cochin:
Any
boat entering Cochin that has been in
Thailand in the last 28 days will be subject to Quarantine and not allowed ashore for 14 days.
Passage time will be counted in the 14 days.
Boats coming from
Malaysia and Sri Lanka are not affected.
India Formalities
Information from the Red Sea Facebook group.
Sri Lanka:
The port authorities currently require
medical documents confirming the health of passengers on board prior to permitting admittance to port, including immunization records. It is recommended to ask the agent to send the documents ahead of time and set up a system to be able to get
internet in Sri Lanka while just
offshore so you can fill out the document and
email to the agents as you approach.
Documents you are required to complete include a “General Health Report,” “Health Status Report,” and “Maritime Declaration of Health”. Authorities will also ask if any passenger or crew fell ill or died while on
passage.
Quarantine will board the
boat for an
inspection and to have a face to face interview prior to check-in.
Sri Lanka Formalities
Information from the Indian
Ocean Crossing Facebook page.
SOUTH EAST & EAST
ASIA
Indonesia: Sabang
Due to Coronavirus all arriving yachts must call the Harbor Master on approach to the harbor and he will organize Quarantine to be ready to receive you. You must not leave your boat until you are notified on
VHF channel 14 that quarantine are ready for you to come ashore. Quarantine will scan all crew for temperature and if all good process you as normal.
Indonesia Formalities
Information from the Sail SE
Asia Facebook Page.
Japan:
As it is currently
winter in
Japan, there has been no notifications of any new procedures for arriving recreational
boats. If the Coronavirus scare continues to the spring, contacts in Japan estimate there might be new procedures, certainly for any boats that would come from China (which are few at the best of times). The
cruise ship under quarantine in Yokohama and over a hundred cases of Coronavirus on board is most likely making Japanese quarantine officers nervous.
Japan Formalities
Information from Kirk Patterson of Konpira Consulting
Myanmar (Burma):
Chinese passport holders are not being given visas or trip permits for the Mergui Archipelago at this time.
Myanmar Formalities
Information from Agency MTT Kawthoung
Papua New Guinea:
Noonsite has received reports that due to the Coronavirus, PNG officials are not processing any visas on arrival. All yachts wanting to enter PNG must apply online for a Visa, well in advance of their intended arrival.
All travel between PNG and the Torres Strait Islands has also been banned.
Online Visa Application for Yachtpersons – PNG Immigration and Citizenship Authority
Travel Ban between PNG and the Torrest Strait Islands – Information from The Guardian article
CARIBBEAN
Bahamas:
The
Bahamas have announced a 20 day exclusion period for persons wishing to enter the Bahamas after they have been to China. It is not a problem for most cruisers, but it could be relevant to cruisers who are already in the Bahamas and are expecting
family and friends to join them.
Bahamas Formalities
Information from Addison Chan
Cayman Islands:
Update on COVID-19 February 28th:
Visitors who have been in China in the preceding fourteen days will be denied entry. Border control measures to
screen passengers on all flights and vessels from mainland China and for people who have been in, or transited through, mainland China in the past 14 days will be on-going.
Persons who arrive in the Caymans from an area where there is a risk of COVID-19, within the last 14 days, should advise Public Health immediately if they have a cough, or fever or shortness of breath. Public health officials are reminding visitors, if they have symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, to seek
medical attention and share their travel
history with their healthcare provider, even if arriving from countries where fewer cases have occurred.
Cayman Islands Formalities
Information from the Ministry of Health,
Environment, Culture & Housing, Cayman Islands Facebook Page.
Dominican Republic:
The DR Ministry of Health have restrictions in place for visitors from Italy it appears, however exact details are not clear at this time. We have contacted the Ministry for more information. See this press release for some details.
DR Formalities
Information from the Ministry of Health, DR
Jamaica:
Persons who have visited Italy, South
Korea, Iran and
Singapore in the last 14 days and who do not have permanent residency or marriage exemption in
Jamaica will not be granted landing privileges at any of the country’s ports of entry. See further details at
https://www.moh.gov.jm/expanded-travel-restrictions/
Jamaica Formalities
Information from the Jamaica Ministry of Health and Wellness
CENTRAL AMERICA
Panama:
In Colon and
Balboa, currently merchant vessels coming from infected ports are inspected by the sanitary control department. Nothing has been implemented for yachts yet, but officials do check previous ports of call.
It is understood however that in Puerto Armuelles, close to
Costa Rica on the border, sanitary inspectors are inspecting all boats that arrive.
Panama Formalities
Information from Erick Galvez of Centenario Consulting
SOUTH AMERICA
Colombia:
In Providencia yachts are now required to go alongside for a medical check before anyone leaves the boat or starts check-in.
In Santa Marta all new arrivals will be asked by the Port Authority on Channel 16 prior to
docking if they have any crew
member on board with flu-like symptoms. If affirmative, the yacht will not be allowed to enter the port until the local authority have been on board for a medical assessment.
Other ports in
Colombia will make health checks on boats as they arrive, based on crew nationalities and last ports of call.
Colombia Formalities
Information from cruiser Brian Simm and agency Agenport
SOUTH PACIFIC
Australia:
The first thing to note is that the Australian Government does not have a quarantine period of 14 days. There are, however, travel restrictions in place for people who have been in mainland China within the last 14 days. As these are travel restrictions, the Australian Border Force is managing the response to these travelers.
All international yachts arriving in
Australia are required to be inspected by a bio-security officer at their first port of entry. As part of this
inspection, the vessel master will be asked questions about the human bio-security risks on board. These questions are designed to identify any people who might have symptoms of a Listed Human Disease and/or Coronavirus.
Australia Formalities
Australian Government Department of Health – COVID-19 Information for the Marine Industry
Fiji:
Fiji’s borders are closed to all foreign nationals who have been in mainland China within 14 days of their intended travel to
Fiji. These same policies have been introduced in
Singapore.
Fiji Formalities
French Polynesia:
The French Polynesian authorities have implemented new entry measures in response to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These include temperature checks on arrival, and presenting before boarding a medical certificate issued within the previous five days certifying your health condition if you are arriving from China,
Cambodia,
Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macau,
Malaysia, Nepal,
Philippines, Singapore, South
Korea, Sri Lanka,
Taiwan,
Thailand or
Vietnam, whatever your port of embarkation.
A health control questionnaire is also being given to all passengers arriving in Polynesia either by air or sea, in which they must give their address for the following 14 days and their contact details.
French Polynesia Formalities
Information from
www.tahiti-infos.com and TahitiTourisme
New Caledonia:
Quarantine agents are doing medical checks on all passengers arriving at the
airport and quarantining anyone with a fever and they are checking people on
cruise ships, too. There are no yachts arriving now as it is the middle of the cyclone season – so the
current policy for yachts is uncertain.
New Caledonia Formalities
Information from Richard Chesher of the Rocket Guide to New Caledonia
New Zealand:
On February 29, 2020 the country recorded it’s first case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 is being handled by the Ministry of Health. All travellers arriving in
New Zealand out of mainland China, or any travellers who have had exposure to a confirmed case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will be expected to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time they leave mainland China or were exposed to novel coronavirus.
New Zealand Formalities
Information from the New Zealand Ministry of Health.
Tonga:
Three
cruise ships have been denied entry into
Tonga and a fourth vessel, a super-yacht, was to call into Vava’u having sailed from Rarotonga. At this stage, no restrictions have been placed on recreational vessels arriving in Tonga, but it is early in the season for yacht arrivals.
Tonga Formalities
Information provided by Greg Just in Tonga and
Radio New Zealand.
Samoa:
Strict new quarantine procedures have been implemented by
Samoa for COVID-19 Coronavirus following the recent measles epidemic that affected the nation.
Although Samoa has not recorded a case, travellers are required to get a medical clearance at least three days before their arrival in Apia to confirm they are free of any infectious diseases.
All sea-port entries will be screened at the quarantine buoy before anyone is allowed to go ashore.
All Travelers entering Samoa FROM or TRANSITING through all ports (New Zealand, Australia, Fiji,
American Samoa,
Hawaii and Tonga) will be required to undergo medical checks. See the Health Advisory Notice below for more information.
Government of Samoa Special Health Advisory – Effective March 2, 2020
Government of Samoa Health Travel Advisory
————————————————————————————————————-
A good summary of
South Pacific Nations and procedures they are putting in place to protect their borders can be found here.
————————————————————————————————————–
NORTH PACIFIC
Federated States of Micronesia:
Persons travelling into the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) from countries, states or territory with confirmed cases of Coronavirus (other than mainland China) are not allowed to enter into FSM unless they have stayed in a country, state or territory with no confirmed cases of Coronavirus for a period not less than 30 days prior to their entry into FSM.
A government official told Noonsite ” We still welcome all yachts and are working with our government leaders to ease up the protocol our yacht community is facing.”
FSM Formalities
Information from Public Health Emergency Declaration – Office of the President.
Marshall Islands – Majuro:
The republic of the
Marshall Islands Ministry of Health and Human Services require copies of all voyage itineraries of all vessels scheduled to arrive at any RMI port 2 weeks in advance of arrival. Voyage itineraries should be sent to the following people for verification:
Deputy Secretary for Public Health – Mailynn Konelios Langinlur:
mailynnlang@gmail.com
Public Health Director – Dr Tom Jack:
tjack0964@gmail.com
Surveillance and Epidemiology – Francyne Wase-Jacklick:
wasejacklick@gmail.com
This requirement will stay in place as long as the Travel Advisory for the prevention of the spread of the 2019-nCoV (coronavirus) and for the measles restrictions in the RMI that are currently in effect.
CORONAVIRUS (2019-nCoV) RESTRICTIONS:
There is a Suspension of all persons, travelling via air or sea, from affected countries listed below for a period of 30 days:
People’s Republic of China (PRC),
Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Iran and Italy.
This means any and all sea vessels/travelers that have originated from –or that have traveled through– any of these above countries after December 31, 2019, are prohibited from
docking, and the crew from disembarking, in the RMI.
These are interim travel restrictions, which have been introduced by the Government of the RMI as part of
current health emergency preparedness measures for COVID-19. These restrictions will be reviewed and updated as needed and communicated to the public.
Marshall Islands Formalities
Information from Republic of Marshall Islands Proclamation Declaring State of Health Emergency (passed on by cruiser Jo Birch).
————————————————————————————————————
Arrive prepared:
The following documents should be kept on board should they be needed:
Past itinerary and previous ports of call (up to 14)
Recent crew
member and passenger travel
history
A
record of signs of symptoms on passage for all crew
Health clearance from the last port
Crew medical records
Crew immunization cards
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