guidance for testing transferring maritime crew
TRANSCRIPT
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Guidance For
Testing Transferring Maritime
Crew
First revised version: 15 March 2021
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Table of Contents 1. Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Background ..................................................................................................................................... 4
3. Introductory guidance: Interaction between off-signing and on-signing crew .............................. 5
Guidance on testing of off-signing crew leaving the ship to depart New Zealand ................................. 5
4. Application of this guidance............................................................................................................ 5
5. Process steps ................................................................................................................................... 6
Guidance on testing of on-signing crew arriving in New Zealand .................................................... 11
6. Application of this guidance.......................................................................................................... 11
7. Process .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Appendix 1: process for arranging pre-departure testing of off-signing ship crew through private
testing providers ................................................................................................................................... 15
Appendix 2: Testing Guidance for Transferring Maritime Crew ........................................................... 17
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Guidance for implementing the COVID-19 Public Health
Response (Maritime Border) Order (No 2) 2020 and the
COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2)
2020 requirements for testing transferring (both off-signing
and on-signing) crew
Issued 15 March 2021
1. Purpose 1.1 This guidance provides advice on the roles and responsibilities, and processes for
undertaking testing of asymptomatic off-signing and on-signing crew members on ships arriving at
New Zealand ports, as required by the Minister for COVID-19 Response, Hon Chris Hipkins.
1.2 The guidance in this document specifically addresses procedures for testing crew members where they are either:
• An off-signing crew member leaving the ship and proceeding directly to an airport in order to fly out of New Zealand on the same day; or
• An off-signing crew member leaving the ship and proceeding to a managed isolation facility where they will stay until proceeding to the airport to board their flight out of New Zealand; or
• An on-signing crew member proceeding directly from the airport to join a ship; or
• An on-signing crew member proceeding from the airport to a managed isolation facility where they will stay until they can join a ship.
Note:
• Crew means “persons employed or engaged in any capacity on board a ship”. “Crew” includes a master, and a person temporarily working on a ship. “Crew” does not include a pilot or any other person who boards a ship to undertake a necessary task.
1.3 The guidance is designed to assist MIQ Maritime and other border agencies, relevant District Health Boards (DHBs), Public Health Units (PHUs), testing staff at airports, port companies, ships’ agents, ship operators, crew and other relevant agencies/agents to facilitate testing of off-signing and on-signing crew in a manner that meets public health requirements for mitigating the risk of COVID-19 via the maritime or air border, while minimising as far as practicable the disruption to shipping and supply chain services.
Note, most crew transfers currently take place at Lyttelton (Canterbury) and Auckland with testing occurring at Auckland and Christchurch Airport facilities, although some transfers also occur at other ports such as Marsden Point, Port Taranaki and Napier. Where there is a delay between when off-signing crew leave a ship and board a plane to fly out of New Zealand, or between when on-signing crew arrive in New Zealand and join a ship, the off-signing or on-signing crew (as the case may be) will be required to self-isolate, usually in a managed isolation facility, and they may be tested where they are self-isolating rather than at the airport.
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1.4 Information on managing the end-to-end crew change process, will be available soon on the Ministry of Health website.
1.5 Note, testing is a non-negotiable prerequisite for crew transfers. No crew member arriving from overseas can join a ship until he or she has been tested. Similarly, off-signing crew members on a ship which has arrived in New Zealand from a foreign port may leave the ship only to go directly to the airport to have their pre-departure test or to a managed isolation facility if there is a delay before the departure. In order to ensure testing occurs in a timely manner to enable crew transfers to take place as scheduled by shipping operators, ships’ agents must ensure they give Maritime NZ a minimum of 168 hours’ (seven days’) notice of the scheduled arrival of a ship and requirement for a crew transfer. MIQ Maritime will then advise DHBs / PHUs of the crew transfer details to enable the required tests to be arranged. This notice period will assist DHBs/PHUs to ensure enough testing staff are in place without disrupting their other testing work. However, it is also recognised that while most crew changes are planned weeks in advance, last-minute or urgent changes can also occur, for example where a crew member falls ill or suffers an accident. Late notice advise of crew transfers and requests for testing will be accommodated where possible.
2. Background 2.1 The Maritime Border Order and Air Border Order put in place controls to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 entering New Zealand via the maritime border. It helps to maintain strong maritime border controls and is intended to increase certainty for maritime activities to take place safely and contribute to New Zealand’s economy.
2.2 The Order also allows asymptomatic off-signing and on-signing crew to transfer directly between a ship and an airport without having to undergo a 14-stay at a Managed Isolation facility. However, symptomatic crew are required to be transferred to a Quarantine facility or isolated at some other location such as onboard their ship, as directed by the MOoH, as soon as they are found to be symptomatic.
2.3 Notwithstanding the exemption in the current Order with regard to transferring crew, on 25 November 2020 the Minister for COVID-19 Response decided that transferring crew members, both on-signers and off-signers, need to be tested for COVID-19 at the airport, or in a managed isolation facility if not transferring directly between the ship and aircraft. This requirement has been operationalised at locations at Auckland and Christchurch Airports. Testing can be legally required and there will be further changes to relevant Border Orders to support the enforcement of testing for transferring crew.
2.4 A copy of the Maritime Border Order is available online.
2.5 While it is the strong preference of some agencies and port companies that crew transfers should only occur at a ship’s last port of call, this is not required by the current Maritime Border Order. Most departures of off-signing crew are currently from Auckland Airport, and a smaller number from Christchurch. Crew transfers mostly occur only at ports within a five-hour drive of Auckland or Christchurch (both of which have an international airport and managed isolation and quarantine), that is at: Whangarei (Marsden Point), Ports of Auckland, Tauranga, Lyttelton and Timaru. However, transfers have also taken place at other ports such as Napier, where on-signing and off-signing crew journey between the port and Auckland International Airport via a Rotorua managed isolation facility.
2.6 Regardless of the port where the ship is docked, all transferring crew arrive or depart via Auckland or Christchurch international airports. Most testing of transferring crew is undertaken at
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facilities located on premises at these airports, while a smaller proportion of testing transferring crew takes place in managed isolation facilities.
2.7 Under the Maritime Border Order (in its current form), on-signing crew do not need to present a negative test result before joining a ship, however most ship owners ensure on-signing crew are tested before leaving their country of origin to reduce the risk of crew already on board being exposed to the virus. Similarly, off-signing crew can board a plane without needing to produce a negative test result – unless this is required by the destination company or airline. They are therefore not required to wait for their test results before departing New Zealand by air, or joining their ship. The testing is required as an additional safety measure to provide information about the COVID-19 status of crew on ships they are transferring from or to. Should a positive result be returned, existing protocols for contact tracing, or managing cases on a ship that had departed New Zealand, would apply.
3. Introductory guidance: Interaction between off-signing and
on-signing crew 3.1 Interaction between off-signing and on-signing crew should be kept to the minimum amount
of time required to ensure a safe crew changeover and should occur only on an as needed basis –
namely, a) a skeleton crew needing to remain onboard for safety reasons pending the arrival of the
on-signing crew, and b) where in-person handovers and briefings are required, e.g. between senior
off-signing and on-signing crew members such as masters, ship’s doctors or ship’s engineers. Face
masks and gloves should be worn at all times, as well as on-signing and off-signing crew members
maintaining a two-metre distance from each other and existing crew where possible.
3.2 Any necessary interactions between off-signing and on-signing crew should be kept to the
minimum amount of time required to ensure a safe handover between the transferring crew.
3.3 All on-signing crew not needing to participate in a handover should isolate on board until
after the outbound pilot has left and keep away from other crew.
3.4 Off-signing crew should be made aware of the Ministry of Health’s recommended safety and
hygiene guidelines. They should also be familiar with the processes set out in the crew transfer
information package to be issued by Maritime NZ.
Guidance on testing of off-signing crew leaving the ship to depart New Zealand
4. Application of this guidance 4.1 This part of the guidance applies ONLY to the crew of any vessels arriving in New Zealand who will leave New Zealand as soon as possible after leaving the ship, that is, on the first available flight.
4.2 Separate guidance sets out the process for testing crew who are disembarking to enter New Zealand, for example to take shore leave. This guidance document is available on the Ministry of Health website.
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To achieve the purpose of the requirement to test off-signing crew, District Health Boards (DHBs) will work with Public Health Units (PHUs) and the relevant airports, port companies and ship’s agents to ensure appropriate procedures are in place to enable testing of all off-signing and on-signing crew members.
As a rule, where off-signing crew are required by their destination country or transporting airline to produce documentary proof that they have returned a negative result from a recent (generally within the last 48 or 72 hours) test before being allowed to board an aircraft, testing may be carried out prior to the crew member’s departure for the airport at an alternative location agreed by the relevant DHB or PHU, such as on board the ship, at a testing facility set up on the port close to the ship or at a medical practice, whichever the MOoH considers is more appropriate in terms of health and safety considerations, and taking into account the availability of a suitable testing site and facilities.
If the date when off-signers need to be tested to meet destination country entry requirements changes from what was originally notified to MIQ Maritime by the ship’s agent, the ship’s agent should advise the relevant DHB / PHU of this as soon as possible so ensure that transport, managed isolation facility (MIF) accommodation arrangements etc can be changed to ensure the off-signing crew are still able to meet their pre-departure testing and managed isolation requirements.
Appendix 1 sets out the process established for arranging private pre-departure testing which aligns with the Minister’s requirements for testing transferring crew.
Costs for undertaking testing of ships’ crew
4.3 Tests for off-signing crew members conducted by public health teams at the airport or at
testing facilities such as a managed isolation facility to meet the Minister’s 25 November 2020
requirement that transferring crew be tested are publicly funded. Tests carried out by privately
arranged health providers are not publicly funded. It is expected that the costs of these tests will be
met by the ship’s owner or operator.
5. Process steps 5.1 Preparing for the ship’s arrival in New Zealand to facilitate testing of off-signing crew
• The Maritime Border Order (clause 14) requires at least 168 hours’ (seven days’) notice of a
ship’s scheduled arrival in New Zealand. Where this is not possible, notice needs to be given
when the ship departs a port for New Zealand.
• This extended notice period should ensure agencies have sufficient time to manage the
arrival of ships, arrange health assessments and coordinate testing staff rosters to ensure
testing can be carried out in a timely manner.
• Clause 15 of the Maritime Border Order specifies the information which should be provided
in the Extended Notice of Arrival (ENOA): Form and content of notice of arrival. In addition to
this information, the names and passport numbers of all off-signing crew must be provided
to enable them to be tested.
• A signed testing consent form and health status declaration from each off-signer should be provided (Appendix 2). Off-signers not willing to consent should have been advised that, if necessary, the Ministry of Heath will use its section 70 (of the Health Act 1956) power to require testing.
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• Note, if a ship visited a port outside New Zealand within 14 days of its arrival in
Zealand, and/or it has had any interaction with any person within the last 14 days,
the crew are deemed to be in isolation or quarantine on the ship. Where a ship is
deemed to be in isolation or quarantine at a New Zealand port, a person may board
only if they need to perform a necessary task (as defined by the Maritime Border
Order). Private health practitioners who board a ship to undertake medical
examination or testing for COVID-19 meet the criteria for persons undertaking a
necessary task.
Responsible agency
Ship’s agent:
• Advises the relevant DHB / PHU / MIQ Maritime / Auckland Regional Isolation and Quarantine Coordination Centre (ARIQCC) of a ship’s scheduled arrival in order to arrange COVID-19 testing – either by the DHB/PHU or a private provider – and to facilitate transferring crew to stay in a managed isolation facility, if required.
• Manages the process for notifying the ship’s master and crew of test results at their destination, in consultation with DHB/PHU. If test results are available before the off-signing crew board their flight, these are forwarded to MIQ Maritime so they can inform the airport authorities to avoid duplicate testing being carried out.
• Ensures crew are advised of testing requirements and procedures, including, if appropriate, the Ministry of Health’s powers under s70 of the Health Act which it is prepared to exercise if necessary.
• Liaises with Customs to advise of arrival of off-signing crew, as they will need to clear Customs when leaving the ship.
• Arranges transportation – documented in a transportation plan to be given to the transport company and copied to the relevant DHB / PHU – of off-signing crew to the airport or to the Managed Isolation Facility and later the airport, as applicable. Note, only MIQ Maritime-approved transport companies may be used to transport transferring crew.
DHB/PHU:
• Receives the crew transfer testing request, and shortly afterwards the transportation plan,
from the ship’s agent.
• Medical Officer of Health (MOoH) or Health Protection Officer (HPO) liaises with the ship’s
agent as necessary, and reviews the pre-arrival documents, which will include a declaration
of crew health status made by the ship’s master. The MOoH or HPO will have received or
sighted crew members’ signed testing consent forms.
• The MOoH or HPO has each crew member complete a Health Assessment Form, before
testing, which gives a snapshot of the individual’s health status.
• The MOoH or HPO liaises with local Customs Officers to ensure both agencies are aware of
what is happening regarding crew movements.
• Reviews any other documentation required for the assessment of risk.
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• Confirms, in consultation with MIQ Maritime, when and where (at the airport testing facility,
a managed isolation facility or some other location) the testing will take place. Where pre-
boarding documentation of a negative test is required, testing arrangements can be made
for the testing to be undertaken by a private health provider onboard the vessel (refer to
Appendix 1).
• Contacts the Ministry of Health’s Data and Digital team to arrange NHI numbers for crew
members to be tested (where a crew member has previously been tested in New Zealand
and so already has a NHI number, he or she does not need a new NHI number but Data and
digital should be asked to confirm the NHI number),
• Arranges for pre-testing health check of all crew, both those off-signing and those continuing
with the ship. All off-signing crew who pass the health check can then proceed as per the
processes described below for leaving the ship and off-signing.
o Where any crew member is considered to be symptomatic, a MOoH will decide on an appropriate place for isolation and quarantine and seek clinical and other advice as required (including consultation with a managed isolation or quarantine facility (MIQ). The MOoH will also advise the appropriate government agencies of the decision (including Customs, Immigration, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Maritime NZ who will manage the positive case(s) according to current protocols.
• Sets up testing session by swabbing team at the airport (including provision of swab kits,
appropriate medical gear, ID stickers and pre-printed laboratory forms recording the port’s
assigned surveillance code and other required details of the crew member being tested) for
each crew member to be tested.
• Facilitates the necessary documentation, (which can be completed at the time of testing),
including:
o Specimen request forms.
o Testing Consent form and health declaration, to be signed by the crew members
agreeing to the test and for their test result to be advised to the ship’s master and the
ship’s agent. In the case of non-consent for notification of the test result to the ship’s
master and ship’s agent, the crew member(s) would need to provide contact details in
order to receive the result directly.
o If the test result is positive various people need to be notified regardless of consent – e.g. ship’s master, health authorities in the country where the crew member has flown to / intends to fly to, or the Medical Officer of Health if the ship has visited / is visiting a further New Zealand port (see sections 5.5 and 5.6 below). Note, a positive test result indicates there is likely to be an outbreak on board and requires a substantial, coordinated outbreak response to be managed by the appropriate medical authorities in the port(s) which the ship would have visited since the on-signers embarked.
Ministry of Health
• (Data and Digital) identifies or generates NHI number for each crew member to be tested.
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Transport company
• Transports the off-signing crew from the ship, either directly to the airport or to the airport
via managed isolation facility, as per the transportation plan received from the ship’s agent.
Note, if any variation from the transportation plan is needed, the transport company must
advise the DHB / PHU as soon as possible so that testing arrangements can be varied if
needed to ensure that all off-signing crew can still be tested.
Customs
• Liaises with MOoH or HPO and other relevant agents/agencies to ensure they are aware of
what is happening regarding crew movements.
• Ensures Customs requirements are met by the off-signing crew members.
Ministry for Primary Industries:
• Ensures MPI/biosecurity requirements are met by the off-signing crew members.
5.2 Testing process at airport for off-signing crew
Responsible agency
DHB/PHU:
• Once the crew members are through the arrivals clearances, a clinician acting for the MOoH
or a DHB clinician carries out pre-testing health checks at the airport – any symptomatic
crew are transferred to an MIQ or other location where they can be isolated, as directed by
the MOoH.
• Approves transfer of non-symptomatic crew to the testing facility at the airport if the flight is
leaving directly.
• Approves transfer of non-symptomatic crew to a MIF if
o the departure flight is delayed; or
o crew are required to return a negative test before being allowed to board their flight and
testing will be conducted by a private testing provider (see Appendix 1).
• Checks paperwork (consent forms, NHI numbers, any s70 Order(s) etc) and carries out
COVID-19 tests.
• Arranges for test swabs to be transferred to an accredited lab for processing.
• Approves tested crew to be transported to ship, MIF or some other approved location where
they can be isolated.
• Ensures the number of crew members to be tested is reported to the Ministry of Health,
[email protected], by 6.00 pm on the day of testing (or the Monday
following testing if testing occurs at a weekend). This information should show details of
where testing took place (the airport, a MIF or private provider) and the port where the off-
signing crew left the ship.
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5.3 Testing samples conveyed to testing laboratory
Responsible agency
Testing provider:
• Ensures crew’s labelled samples and laboratory forms are conveyed to the appropriate
testing laboratory.
5.4 Testing results are recorded and reported
Responsible agency
Testing lab:
• Advises the ship’s agent and DHB/PHU of the results
• Uploads the test results into the national database via Éclair.
Ship’s agent:
• After being advised of the test results, the ship’s agent forwards them to the crew members
and ship’s master.
5.5 Management in case of a positive test for one or more crew members still in New Zealand
through needing to provide pre-flight documentation of COVID-free status
Responsible agency
DHB/PHU:
• Where a crew member still in New Zealand tests positive, all other crew members who were
/ are on the ship with them must be considered close contacts and must self-isolate, and the
appropriate protocols need to be followed. An MOoH will decide on an appropriate place
for isolation and quarantine and seek clinical and other advice as required (including
consultation with a MIQ facility). Note, if the ship has left port and is not intending to return
to a New Zealand port, the notification procedures detailed in 5.6 below will apply.
o In addition, if the ship from which the crew member(s) off-signed is still in or re-enters
New Zealand waters it will need to be quarantined. Where a ship is quarantined,
charterers need to be informed that they are chartering a vessel which could be
quarantined at a later date because there was a positive case on it.
• Advises the appropriate government agencies of the outcome (including Customs, Immigration, MIQ and Maritime NZ) who will manage the positive case/s according to the current protocols if the ship is still in, or returns to, a New Zealand port.
• If the ship is still in port or intends to return to a New Zealand port, an MOoH will advise the ship’s agent of the decision regarding managing the case, the other crew members and the ship.
MBIE:
• Administers bookings into managed isolation or quarantine facilities.
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• Arranges transfer to managed isolation or quarantine facilities.
5.6 Management in case of a positive test for one or more crew members who have boarded
their aircraft and are en route to, or have arrived in, their country of destination
Responsible agency
DHB/PHU:
• The MOoH advises the Ministry of Health of the positive result and the ship’s (intended) destination.
• The MOoH advises the ship’s agent of the positive result.
• Note, test results are automatically advised to several parties – for example, Auckland test results are advised to Auckland Regional Health Protection Service (ARHPS), ARIQCC and NRHCC, and ARHPS ensures that positive results are advised to any other (New Zealand) parties who need to be informed, e.g. Maritime NZ, MBIE’s MIQ team, as well as the Ministry of Health, so that the positive case can be managed accord to the applicable protocols.
Ministry of Health
• Notifies the health authorities in the destination country and any countries where stopovers occurred / will occur of the details of the affected crew member(s) and any other relevant information.
Guidance on testing of on-signing crew arriving in
New Zealand
6. Application of this guidance 6.1 This guidance applies to crew who have arrived in New Zealand by air to join a ship at a
New Zealand port.
To achieve the purposes of the Maritime Border Order, District Health Boards (DHBs) will work with Public Health Units (PHUs) and the relevant airports and ship’s agents to ensure there are appropriate procedures in place to enable testing of all on-signing crew members.
Where an on-signer is to transfer directly to the ship, testing should be carried out at the airport at which the on-signing crew arrive in New Zealand. However, if the on-signer is not joining the ship directly, and is transferred directly to a managed isolation facility (MIF), the test would be undertaken at the MIF.
It is a requirement of some port companies that an on-signing ship master must return a recent (generally within the last three days) negative test result before they can interact with a pilot. To facilitate this without delaying a ship’s departure from port, ship agents should ensure an on-signing master arrives in New Zealand at least three days in advance of the scheduled date of the ship’s departure.
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7. Process 7.1 Preparing for the arrival of the on-signing crew to facilitate testing on arrival
Responsible agency
Ship’s agent
• Advises MIQ Maritime, via a completed MIQ form, of the number and names and passport details of the on-signing crew, flight details, country they are arriving from and any stopovers, and name of the ship and port where they will on-sign. MIQ Maritime on-sends the ship’s agent’s advice to the relevant DHB/PHU.
• Provides testing consent forms and COVID-19- free health status declarations signed by every on-signing crew member. The declarations must specify whether the crew member:
o has had, in the 14 days prior to boarding the flight to New Zealand, symptoms that
suggest the presence of COVID-19; and/or,
o is currently experiencing any symptoms that suggest the presence of COVID-19.
• Liaises with Immigration NZ to arrange appropriate visas / immigration clearance for all non-NZ citizen on-signing crew members.
• Manages the process for notifying the ship’s master and crew of test results, in consultation with the DHB/PHU.
• Ensures crew are advised before boarding their flight of testing requirements and procedures, and that testing can be required under s70 of the Health Act if consent is withheld.
• Arranges location where on-signing crew not required to participate in a crew handover can isolate post-testing. Ideally, they will isolate before boarding the ship, although isolation could take place on board the ship, depending on the size and layout of the ship.
• Arranges transportation – documented in a transportation plan to be given to the transport company and copied to the relevant DHB / PHU – of on-signing crew from the airport either directly to the ship or via a managed isolation facility, as applicable. Note, only MIQ-approved transport companies may be used to transport transferring crew.
Ministry of Health (Data and Digital team)
• Allocates batches of NHI numbers to testing facilities which then assigns an NHI number to
transferring crew member to enable them to be tested.
Transport company
• Transports the off-signing crew from airport either directly to ship or via a managed isolation
facility, as per the transportation plan received from the ship’s agent. Note, if any variation
from the transportation plan is needed, the transport company must advise the DHB / PHU
as soon as possible so that testing arrangements can be varied if needed to ensure that all
off-signing crew can still be tested.
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DHB/PHU:
• Receives the ENoA and accompanying documentation from MIQ Maritime.
• Receives the transportation plan from the ship’s agent.
• Ensures the ship’s agent is aware there is no charge for testing for and that s70 Orders can
be used to require testing where consent is withheld.
• Reviews any other documentation, including crew members’ health declarations, required
for the assessment of low risk
• Advises the Ministry of Health where any crew member has not consented to testing to
enable the Ministry of Health to issue a s70 Order.( Assuming the ship’s agent gives the
required seven days’ notice via an ENoA of a planned crew transfer, the DHB/PHU should be
aware of any non-consent issues and advise the Ministry so a s70 Order can be issued in
advance of the arrival of the on-signing crew. Regardless of whether or when a s70 order is
issued, no crew member can on-sign and board a ship without having been tested.
• Arranges transportation (using a MIQ-approved transport operator) of on-signing crew from the airport to the airport testing facility and then the ship (or to an MIF if the arrival of the ship they are joining has been delayed). Transport must also be arranged to an MIQ or other isolation facility for any crew member who fails the pre-testing health check and needs to be quarantined.
• In consultation with Customs, advises the ship’s agent of any issues identified around crew
testing (e.g. appropriate timing of testing for clinical accuracy).
Customs / Immigration / Ministry for Primary Industries:
• Carries out required clearance / inspection procedures
Port company
• Receives confirmation from the pilot that he or she is wearing the required PPE and is
complying with all health and safety requirements.
• Liaises with ship’s master to ensure the ship’s bridge is secure and only those crew required
to interact with the pilot (e.g. master, navigation officer etc) will be allowed on the bridge.
• Is kept informed of handover arrangements.
7.2 Testing process at airport for on-signing crew) once the crew members are through the
arrivals clearances)
Responsible agency
DHB/PHU:
• A MOoH or a DHB clinician carries out pre-testing health checks at the airport. If any crew
are symptomatic, the MOoH directs their transfer to a MIQ or other location where they can
be isolated.
• Approves transfer of non-symptomatic crew to the testing facility at the airport or MIF, as
applicable.
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• Checks paperwork (consent forms, NHI numbers, any s70 Order(s) etc) and carries out
COVID-19 tests.
• Arranges for test swabs to be transported to an accredited lab for processing.
• Approves tested crew to be transported to the ship, MIF or some other approved location
where they can be isolated until they can board the ship.
7.3 Testing results are recorded and reported
Testing lab
• Advises DHB/PHU and the ship’s master of test results. In most cases, this will happen after
the ship has left port.
• Uploads the test results into the national database via Éclair.
7.4 Procedures where a test result of on-signing crew member is positive and the crew member
has not boarded, or has boarded but the ship is still in port
• In many cases, test results will not be known until on-signing crew have boarded and the ship has left port.
• Where there is a delay between crew members being tested and being able to board the ship, and any crew member tests positive before boarding, they will be transferred to a quarantine facility.
• Where a crew member receives a positive test result after boarding the ship and the ship is still in port, they will be transferred to a quarantine facility. All those on board the ship and others they have interacted with will be treated as close contacts and the appropriate procedures will be implemented under the direction of the MOoH.
7.5 Procedures where a test result of on-signing crew member is positive, the crew member has
boarded and the ship has left port
DHB/PHU
• Contacts the ship‘s agent and ship’s master to discuss management of the positive case(s).
Issues to consider will include; whether the positive case(s) can effectively self-isolate on-
board the ship, and actions needed to safeguard the health of the positive case(s). It is
recognised that ship is a workplace and, depending on the size and layout of the ship,
effective quarantine or isolation may not be feasible.
• If the crew transfer did not take place at the ship’s last port of call in New Zealand;
o advises the next New Zealand port(s) of call and the appropriate health authorities of
the situation and management plan.
• If the crew transfer took place at the ship’s last port of call in New Zealand;
o advises the ship’s master and ascertain a) whether the positive case(s) can effectively
self-isolate on the ship, and b) whether the ship will continue with its scheduled voyage
or return to a New Zealand port; and,
o advises the New Zealand and / or international port, and the relevant health authorities.
• Note, if the positive case is the ship’s master or other bridge crew member, the ship’s
protocols will apply and the ship will likely be placed in quarantine.
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Appendix 1: process for arranging pre-departure testing of off-signing ship crew through private testing providers
DHB / PHU and
MIQ Maritime
Note – notification process for advising of crew transfers and testing requests
is from MIQ Maritime to:
• CC: [email protected];
• CC: [email protected] (for oversight at Auckland)
• CC: [email protected] (for oversight at Christchurch
• MoH: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
MIQ Maritime confirms the scheduled arrival of the ship and the scheduled
departure (including flight number) of the off-signing crew by air, to ensure
there is sufficient time between ship arrival and flight departure to allow for
COVID-19 tests to be conducted and results notified before (within 72 hours)
departure.
MIQ Maritime confirms with DHB / PHU that all necessary documentation,
including crew passport details and signed health declarations, have been
forwarded to DHB / PHU and there are no issues arising from the health
declarations. Where there are issues, DHB / PHU is to liaise with the ship’s
agent to address them.
MIQ Maritime reviews the transfer arrangements forwarded by the ship’s
agent to confirm:
• the transfer will be via a MIQ-approved transport operator and strict isolation conditions will be maintained for off-signers from ship departure to test to arrival at the airport; and
• there will be no interaction with on-signing crew, except where a physical handover is necessary.
Where the transfer arrangements do not satisfy MIQ Maritime or DHB / PHU,
the relevant agency will liaise with the ship’s agent to advise areas to be
addressed. After receiving this notification, the ship’s agent is to advise
proposed remedial actions to the agency for review and approval.
MIQ Maritime Liaise with the shipping agent and confirm:
• Name of private health provider to undertake the tests and the lab which will process the test swabs. Note: o only health providers who meet the definition of a health
practitioner, as defined by section 5(1) of the Health Practitioners
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Competence Assurance Act (2003) (and can therefore legally board a quarantined vessel), may be used to undertake the pre-departure testing; and
o the tests must be processed by an accredited laboratory (Labtests) with the results copied to Éclair so they end up in the national repository.
• The ship’s agent is aware of and agrees to implement the instructions of an MOoH if any crew member to be tested declares any symptoms consistent with COVID-19
• The DHB / PHU has been advised that the testing will be conducted by a private provider and will be notified directly of any positive test result(s), and the ship’s agent is aware of the processes to be followed
• Scheduled date and time for COVID-19 test(s)
• Confirm the test(s) will be taken ≤ 72hours prior to expected arrival in an airside area of the international airport, with results to be made available prior to boarding
• Private provider will complete and provide a hard copy of the result to each off-signer
• Each off-signer will carry the hard copy of the results with them to the airport in their carry-on luggage.
Creates border records for all off-signing members to ensure their test results
are recorded in the public health system in the same way they would be if
they were tested at the airport.
Advise DHB / PHU and air border team whether all necessary conditions have
been met for the off-signing crew to board their flight.
MIQ Maritime Advise DHB / PHU and air border team whether all necessary conditions have
been met for the off-signing crew to board their flight.
Air Border team
and DHB / PHU
(post-testing but
pre-boarding)
Receive confirmation from ship’s agent and MIQ Maritime that all agreed
steps in the testing plan notified to MIQ Maritime and DHB / PHU were
followed, and all testing and public health requirements were followed.
Where satisfactory confirmation is not received, the DHB / PHU are to
consider whether further testing needs to be conducted at the airport testing
facility.
MIQ Maritime
agree
To inform NRHCC and air border team if any conditions are not met.
If all conditions above are not met and the area(s) of non-compliance cannot
be immediately remedied, the air border team will need to retest the off-
signing crew before they leave the country.
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Appendix 2: Testing Guidance for Transferring Maritime Crew
Consent Form: COVID-19 Testing of On-signing Maritime Crew
To be completed by tester
Date: Name of person taking swab:
We are testing transferring crew for COVID-19 who want to off-sign from or on-sign onto a ship at a
New Zealand port. Testing is to be carried out on all transferring crew, whether or not they have
symptoms. We will also ask you about any respiratory symptoms you might have. We will collect a
swab from the back of your nose. Testing is a required by the Minister for COVID-19 Response as a
prerequisite to signing onto or off a ship.
CREW/OFFICERS DETAILS
First name: Last name (as per passport):
DOB: NHI (if known):
Gender: Male Female Doctor (if in NZ):
Passport
Number: Nationality:
Email address:
Home address (if in NZ):
Vessel name: Master’s details:
Ship’s Agent:
Agent’s email:
Agent’s phone contact:
SYMPTOMS
Do you feel unwell with any of the symptoms now or in the
past two days?
Yes No
New cough, sore throat, fever, trouble breathing, cold
symptoms, loss of smell?
Have you had an illness with those symptoms in the past two
weeks?
Have you been in contact with someone who had COVID-19
infection in the past two weeks?
TURN PAGE OVER TO COMPLETE
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Authorisation to sign onto or off a ship is available only after all crew members have been
tested for COVID-19, and if you have no symptoms of respiratory illness.
I have read and understood the information provided to me and I agree/do not agree [underline
one] to have this test before on-signing / off-signing [underline one].
Signed:
Date:
I also agree/do not agree [underline one] to the results of the test being shared with the relevant
Port Health Officers and ship’s agent.
Signed:
Date:
This testing is required as part of New Zealand’s control measures at the border to support our
ongoing efforts for controlling COVID-19.
All information provided will be kept confidential and will only be provided to parties involved in
supporting crew transfers and appropriate medical authorities, as outlined in the consent form.
Notification of testing result
• You will receive your result from the doctor who ordered the test, via the ship’s master the
ship’s agent will also be notified of the result.
If the result is positive (virus is detected in the test):
• The ship’s master will liaise with the relevant medical authorities to determine the appropriate
course of action and will advise you what will happen next.