1. Are there any restrictions on vessels whose previous port call was from COVID-19 high risk countries?
Prior to vessel’s arrival, specific documents and information must be submitted to the health authorities in order to obtain free pratique authorization from the Health Authorities. These documents need to be submitted to the Health Authorities 96 hours before arrival at Recalada. If vessel arrives at Recalada after 14 days of navigation (or more), Health Authorities will grant permission to continue navigation to the Argentinian port of destination. If the vessel has less than 14 days of navigation from the previous port, crew body temperature is checked on arrival at Zona Común during daylight and only after navigation is authorized by the local Coast Guard.
2. What documents and information must be submitted?
- Crew temperature and medical log book 10 days prior arrival to Recalada [On a daily basis.]
- Maritime Declaration of Health – SSCEC – IMO.
- Crew List [must state nationality and date/place of embarkation].
- Passenger list, if any.
- Last 10 ports of call.
- Medicine/Narcotic list and its use in the last 14 days.
- Travelers’ health declaration. [One per crewmember.]
- Daily Body Temperature records till your departure. [Records must be logged twice a day.]
- Medical log book stating stock and usage of medicines. [On a daily basis]
- Master’s Statement regarding any crew change made in the last 14 days. If negative, send a NIL list.
- Master’s Statement declaring that any accommodation/area used by pilots has been disinfected and that all precautions were taken by crew when approaching pilots.
- Visitor’s log book for the last 14 days or last port if more than 14 days of navigation. This includes crew interaction with people ashore, stating the purpose for said interaction.
- Owner/Ship protocol in case of Covid-19 symptoms.
- Yellow fever vaccination.
- Pest Control (Valid) – If not valid, fumigation must be carried out on arrival to the port of destination.
- NIL list.
- Ship’s particular.
3) What happens if the vessel comes from an infected country, has less than 14 days of navigation and has not conducted any crew change in the last 14 days?
If vessel comes from an infected country, is yet to comply with 14 days of navigation, and has not conducted crew change in the last 14 days, the following documents are required by authorities on top of the documents listed on section 1):
- Owner/Head Owner/Disponent Owner’s COVID-19 plan/protocol.
- Visitor’s log book for the last 14 days. This includes crew interaction with people ashore, stating the purpose for said interaction.
4) What happens if the vessel comes from an infected country, has less than 14 days of navigation and has conducted crew change in the last 14 days?
If vessel comes from an infected country, is yet to comply 14 days of navigation, and has performed crew change in the last 14 days, the following documents are required by authorities on top of the documents listed on section 1):
- Owner/Head Owner/Disponent Owner’s COVID-19 plan/protocol.
- Visitor’s log book for the last 14 days. This includes crew interaction with people ashore, stating the purpose for said interaction.
- Owner/Head Owner/Disponent Owner’s crew change protocol [in foreign countries].
- Sworn declaration of all crew including traceability in the last 14 days prior to boarding, which includes the following information:
- Place of residence.
- Places they have visited in the last 14 days.
-
- Trips they have taken in the last 14 days.
-
- Kind of transportation they used to go to the airport.
- Layovers [place and time elapsed].
- If any crew member has had any COVID-19 symptom.
5) What happens if there has been a recent crew change in the previous port?
If there has been a recent crew change in the previous port, the following information/documents must be submitted
- Crew changes Protocol (in foreign country), in order to analyze the isolation traceability of the last 14 days of each crew member prior to embarkation, it shall be considered the information that clearly determines if the isolation place used to comply with isolation during the 14 days prior to embarkation had any sanitary protection (existence of safe corridor) or if the crew member was exposed to the circulation of the virus, certified by a professional from the company.
- Sworn Statement of all crew members that shall consider the traceability of the 14 days prior to embarkation by crew members or the time they have been ashore, with the following data referring to:
- Isolation traceability – usual place of residence, departures, trips, way of transfer to the port to fulfill functions and stops, contacts, relieves performed and lapse of each stay, movements in ports of call before embarkation.
- Symptoms – if he/she has had symptoms related to COVID-19: Fever (37,5 or higher) and one or more of the following symptoms cough or odynophagia or breathing difficulty or newly occurring anosmia/dysgeusia.
-
- Medical history – If he/she has performed studies in medical centers in the last 14 days before embarkation with previous symptoms, cause.
-
- If he/she has cared for a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or suspicious cases.
- If he/she has kept a non-distant close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or suspicious cases.
- If he/she has visited a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or suspicious cases.
-
- If he/she has travelled in any means of transport with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or suspicious cases.
- If he/she lives with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or suspicious case.
- Certificate issued by the health agent of the shipping company or health agency, signed by the person responsible of risk management or similar within the company that shall consider the variables of the protocol compliance referring to the risk findings that shall arise from sworn statements and crew changes (safe corridor for the fulfilment of social isolation of the crew member during the 14 days before embarkation, if the person has been exposed to the circulation of the virus, usual place of residence, departures made, trips made, way of transfer to the port to fulfil functions and stops made, contacts, relieves performed and lapse of each stay, movements in ports of call before embarkation, if he/she has had symptoms related to COVID-19 and/or performed studies in medical centers in the last 14 days before embarkation [if there is a positive case, send copy of such information], and if he/she has been in touch with people with the disease and/or suspicious cases).
- Extra documentation available on the crew members and/or vessel that shall allow to assess their risks, that shall be required by the health authority and that shall expand the sworn statement.
6) Is crew change permitted?
No, crew is not allowed to disembark. However, in the event of an emergency, immigration will analyze the case and the crew has to be sent to the airport within 2 hours of departing the vessel if the immigration department has cleared them and must be accompanied by their agents.
On signers are not allowed to enter Argentina.
7) Is shore leave permitted?
No. If a crewmember needs to go ashore due to an emergency, the case must be approved by Health, Immigration and Coastguard authorities. At some terminals, crewmembers are not allowed to go ashore on foot and the use of a boat is compulsory.
8) What happens if a crewmember or passenger presents any symptoms?
In the event that any crewmember or passengers present any sickness symptoms, free pratique will not be granted, and vessel must comply with quarantine.
9) Are there any other restrictions or requirements due to COVID-19?
- Quarantine has been extended until October 11th, 2020.
- Pilotage services are to comply with a Covid-19 protocol in line with National Health Authority requirements.
- For Paraná River ports, free pratique is not granted at Recalada anchorage, but a “free navigation” is given if documents (mentioned in question a)) have been properly submitted. Free pratique is granted upon arrival at loading port. If the vessel has not undergone a 14-day quarantine, a health control is given upon arrival at Recalada Pilot Station (Sanitation and Coastguard going boarding in order to verify crew’s body temperature) which may result on delays. In addition, on arrival at loading port, Health authorities will go on board to grant free pratique and will not allow river pilots to disembark until it is done.
- Ships that have not been able to fulfil the 14 days of quarantine during navigation from their last port of departure, must anchor at roads on arrival to Bahía Blanca while waiting to fulfil such quarantine prior to authorization to enter port.
- All that documentation is additional to usual pre arrival requirements and must be sent prior to vessel’s arrival holding yellow flag, otherwise free pratique will not be granted.
Notwithstanding the above, they have made the following exceptions always provided that said individuals don’t show any signs of the virus and comply with further recommendation/instructions from National Health Authorities: -people affected to the transportation of goods/commodities through air, ground and sea.
