Ports worldwide restrict ship entry from Ebola hit countries

SHIPS that have called in a West Africa country affected by the Ebola outbreak are required to contact their local agents before arrival at ports of call for the latest country specific advice, an advisory from the International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) said.

Ports worldwide restrict ship entry from Ebola hit countries

In Argentina pilots are not allowed to board any vessel coming from ports in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone within the last 30 days, reported GAC Hot Port News.

In Benin, vessels ex-Cotonou must notify the harbour master of the 10 previous ports of call three days before arrival, and may be subject to health inspections. 

In Brazil, crew aboard vessels entering ports from Ebola-affected areas will be subject to health checks, and any confirmed or suspected cases of Ebola must be reported. 

In the US. any illness or deaths must be reported and ships may be subject to delays and/or quarantine.

In Cape Verde, no Ebola patients will be accepted, and vessels arriving from Sierra Leone are being subject to quarantine.

Vessels entering Chinese ports from an Ebola affected area are to be subject to quarantine and inspections.

In Congo (Brazzaville), Ebola patients will not be accepted on land.

Vessels calling in Marseilles, that have visited Ebola affected countries, must inform the local health authorities 48 hours prior to arrival.

In Gabon, a vessel that has visited countries affected by Ebola shall be forbidden entry unless persons with Gabonese citizenship are on board. Crew members are forbidden from leaving port limits and no crew changes are allowed.

In Guinea, where there are confirmed cases of Ebola, a national state of emergency has been declared. Health checks are to be carried out on all persons and disembarkation of non-Guinea stowaways is not permitted.

In Ivory Coast, vessels calling in Abidjan and San Pedro are to undergo health checks, and may be quarantined.

In Kenya, all flights are banned. Along with Ghana, three-day clearance is required for vessels arriving from Ebola affected areas.

In Liberia, all ports are functioning normally and no special clearance is required for ships entering the port.

A national state of emergency has been declared and public areas are closed with road blocks in and out of Monrovia. Curfew from 2100 to 0600 daily.

Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Cameroon have banned ships from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Mauritania is also banning ships from Senegal, while Senegal is also banning ships from Conakry.

In Gambia, all vessels arriving from Ebola affected areas are banned.

In Mexico and Nigeria any vessels entering from an Ebola affected area are subject to health checks.

In the Panama Canal special measures are in place for vessels arriving from affected countries.

In Sierra Leone, Freetown port is functioning normally, but travel is banned outside the hours of 9am-5pm.

Singapore has introduced restrictions on vessels entering from Ebola affected areas.

In South Africa, ships must declare the last three ports called. No waste from ships may be taken ashore and any ill persons are to be reported to the authorities.

In Togo, all ports are operating normally.

In Uruguay, the Pilots Association has refused to work with any ships arriving from Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone within the last 21 days since departure.

In Venezuela, all flights are banned to and from Africa, but no bans or restrictions have been imposed for maritime traffic. 

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) today (24 October) reiterated that there should be no general ban on international travel or trade due to the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa, citing the recommendations of the third meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General on Wednesday, 22 October 2014.

“We would recommend to all our Member States as well as the broader maritime community, shipping companies, ship operators and port and terminal operators that they follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization, which is that the movement of ships, including the handling of cargo and goods, to and from the affected areas, should continue as normal, in order to reduce the isolation and economic hardship of the affected countries,” said Mr. Andy Winbow, Assistant Secretary-General and Director, Maritime Safety Division, IMO.

“Any necessary medical treatment should be available ashore for seafarers and passengers,” Mr. Winbow said.

Image Credits: imo.org

The Statement on the 3rd meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa notes that previous recommendations regarding the travel of Ebola virus disease cases and contacts should continue to be implemented.

IMO has issued an infographic “What you need to know” which can be downloaded and used on board ships and in ports and terminals. The infographic will shortly be available in all six official languages of the Organization.

The WHO notes that while a number of States have recently introduced entry screening measures, WHO encourages countries implementing such measures to share their experiences and lessons learned. Entry screening may have a limited effect in reducing international spread when added to exit screening, and its advantages and disadvantages should be carefully considered.

If entry screening is implemented, States should take into account the following considerations: it offers an opportunity for individual sensitization, but the resource demands may be significant, even if screening is targeted; and management systems must be in place to care for travellers and suspected cases in compliance with International Health Regulations (IHR) requirements.

Reference: imo.org