HOT PORT NEWS from GAC

New tariffs published
Monday, January 11, 2021, Amsterdam, Netherlands

New Amsterdam tariffs for the year 2021 have been published, including pilotage, boatmen assistance, mooring & unmooring, harbour dues, VTS and Teqplay reporting services.

For details of the new tariffs, and information about operations in the Netherlands, contact GAC Netherlands at [email protected]

Launch transfer for ship crew including sign-on/sign-off
Monday, January 11, 2021, Singapore

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has advised the enhanced procedure for sea launch transfer of ship crew with effect from today (11 January 2021).

All agents/owners shall charter the entire launch boat when performing crew change. There shall be no other personnel taking the same launch boat with the sign on/sign off crew.

Crew shall remain in the vehicle/transport until the launch boat(s) is/are ready for boarding. Crew shall not be loitering at the pier for the launch boat.

Punitive measures will be taken for non-compliance.

For information about operations in Singapore, contact GAC Singapore at [email protected]

Updated COVID-19 guidelines for crew changes
Monday, January 11, 2021, Philippines

The Philippines Department of Transportation has added Austria to the list of countries from which the disembarkation of foreign seafarers is restricted due to the relative to the SARS-COV-2 South African Variant.

Ships coming from or having rendered port of call/s from the below listed countries within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, are temporarily restricted from disembarking their foreign seafarers until 15 January 2021:
Austria
Australia
Brazil
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Lebanon
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

Further additional countries can be included in the above list as may be directed by the Office of the President.

However, foreign passengers coming from, or who have been to Austria within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, arriving before January 10, 2021, 12:01AM, Manila time, shall be allowed to enter the Philippines. They shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, even if they obtain a negative RT-PCR test result.

Filipino and foreign seafarers with no immigration admission in any of the countries listed within the last 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines shall be allowed to disembark subject to existing health and safety protocols of the established One-Shop Shops (OSS) for Seafarers.

Filipino seafarers coming from the listed countries, or who have been to the same within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, shall not be prohibited from disembarking their ships, but shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result.

Permitted seafarers are only allowed to disembark in Port of Manila and shall be transported by their shipping agents to the designated quarantine facility via P2P under strict monitoring of the Philippine Coast Guard. Filipino seafarers shall undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine in OWWA-assigned facilities or at Athlete’s Village in New Clark City with accommodation shouldered by the Philippine government.

Embarkation to ships bound to the listed countries shall be subject to the existing exit protocols of the Philippines as well as entry protocols of the respective countries.

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in the Philippines, contact GAC Philippines at [email protected]

Level 3 Lockdown extended
Monday, January 11, 2021, South Africa

South Africa has extended its Level 3 Lockdown until 15 January 2021, in light of the second wave of COVID-19 which is more serious than the first. Level 3 Lockdown was initially introduced for 14 days on 28 December.

In line with COVID-19 Lockdown Level 3, a number of relevant legislations that have been revised. For details, see the Transnet National Port Authority Notice 10 on Health Risk Alert – COVID-19 Level 3 – (7 January 2021) Amended at https://www.saoga.org.za/web/sites/default/files/2021-01/TNPA%20Notice%2010%20on%20Health%20Risk%20Alert%20%20-%20Covid%20-19%20Level%203-%207%20January%202021%20-%20Amended_0.pdf

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in South Africa, contact GAC South Africa at [email protected]

Prohibition of vessels which have visited South Africa or United Kingdom
Monday, January 11, 2021, Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Department of Health has invoked the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) to prohibit vessels which have visited South Africa or UK in the past 21 days from entering Hong Kong waters.

As new virus variants of COVID-19 with higher transmissibility have been reported to be circulating in both countries, quarantine measures have been tightened. All persons who have stayed in South Africa or UK for more than two hours in the 21 days before boarding will not be allowed to board the flight to Hong Kong.

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Hong Kong, contact GAC Hong Kong at [email protected]

Labour holiday declared
Monday, January 11, 2021, Visakhapatnam, India

Visakhapatnam Stevedores Association have advised that a labour holiday has been declared for 14-16 January 2021, due to the regional festival Pongal.

Drivers and equipment operators will not report for duty during the holiday period, so it may not be possible to perform stevedoring and shore handling operations.

Cargo operations at conventional berths will be suspended from 0600 hours on 14 January to 0600 hours on 17 January 2020.

For information about operations in India, contact GAC India at [email protected]

Source: GAC