Skip to main content

COVID-19: NIMASA bans international vessels without thermal screening facilities

By Eguono Odjegba

vessels, Nigeria
* Mor Prosperity; one of the two newly acquired vessels by Morlap Shipping Company.

FOLLOWING the current global struggle with Coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic and the need to mitigate the spread of the virus in Nigeria through shipping activities, Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has banned vessels without thermal screening facilities from operating in Nigerian waters.

This is in addition to developing guidelines to monitor and support all types of ships operating in the Nigerian maritime domain.

READ ALSO:COVID-19: INTELS Donates Isolation Centres at the Onne Port

A statement made available to Vanguard Maritime Report by the Agency’s Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Itsiche Osamgbi, quoted Dr. Jamoh as saying that the purpose of the new guidelines was to help shipping companies and all maritime stakeholders to follow shipping advice provided by United Nations agencies including the World Health Organization, WHO, the International Maritime Organization, IMO, and the International Labour Organization, ILO, as well as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.

Jamoh further stated that the outbreak of the virus has necessitated stringent measures that can help curb the spread while not totally grounding the Nigerian economy.

He said: “These are trying times and we must pull through together, that is why we have directed that all maritime stakeholders develop risk assessments and safety intervention guidelines for their personnel and operations on the areas of vulnerabilities of their maritime operations that can be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic including but not limited to offshore operations such as crew/personnel changes, visits from onshore and other locations for provision of supplies, maintenance and repairs, etc.”

He also disclosed that the Agency would publish an elaborate guidance which will also include schedule for ongoing offshore operations requiring new crew or crew changes from affected countries to ensure that pre-departure tests for COVID-19 are conducted on such persons, and self-isolation procedures for the prescribed period are instituted for such new crew/personnel before exposure to other personnel.
Jamoh stressed that only international marine vessel which had planned and informed of their call into a Nigerian port not later than February 1, 2020 may be allowed to call on such port adding that any international marine vessel or any member of its crew or passenger therein having a travel history of visiting any of the COVID-19 affected countries since February 1, 2020, shall not be permitted to enter any Nigerian port from March 30, 2020 till April 12, 2020. He said this is in addition to any further dates as may be reviewed from time to time.

The NIMASA director general also pointed out that all passengers and crew members must fill the ‘Self Reporting Form’ as prescribed by Nigerian Port Health Authorities adding that Port Health Officers shall carry out thermal screening of all passengers and crew members on board ship, noting that until clearance is given by the PHO, no passenger and or crew member would be allowed ashore.

It would be recalled that in the fight against the deadly COVID-19, NIMASA recently donated 20 ventilators as well as six fast intervention vessels to facilitate transport logistics support in the maritime sector. The agency also donated four fully equipped new Ambulances, four Hilux and four 36 sitter coaster buses to facilitate land based logistics in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Cross River and Kaduna states along with cash donations to some of the states who have reported cases of the pandemic.

The post COVID-19: NIMASA bans international vessels without thermal screening facilities appeared first on Vanguard News.


by Urowayino Jeremiah via Vanguard News https://ift.tt/33XUUuS Best Known Member of the Cabinet Wikipedia
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UPDATED: Nigeria’s coronavirus cases reach 1,728, fatalities 51

  By David Royal The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 196 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,728. NCDC also announced that seven more fatalities were recorded, bringing the total number of deaths to 51. The NCDC, in a tweet at about 11:55 p.m. on Wednesday, said the 196 new cases reported were; 87-Lagos, 24-Kano, 18-Gombe, 17-Kaduna, 16-FCT, 10-Katsina, 8-Sokoto, 7-Edo, 6-Borno, 1-Yobe, 1-Ebonyi, 1-Adamawa. The virus has spread to 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Yobe, according to NCDC report, is the most recent state to record COVID-19 case in the country. According to the agency, Nigeria now has 1,370 active cases recorded as of 11:55 p.m. on April 29, while 307 infected persons have been treated and discharged, with 51 deaths recorded. READ ALSO: US says remdesivir shows ‘clear-cut’ effect in treating coronavirus “On the 29th of April 2020, 196 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

COVID-19: Transporters ask FG to set up N20bn intervention fund for sector

By Theodore Opara   Hiace AS the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact on businesses across the country negatively, Inter State Transport operators in Nigeria under the umbrella of Public Transport Owners of Nigeria Association, PTONA, has cried out to the Federal Government to set up a N20 billion COVID-19 intervention fund on a single digit loan of five percent interest to enable them to replenish their fleet. The association in a letter to Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Chairman Presidential Economic Sustainability Committee on COVID-19 pandemic also appealed to the Federal Government to grant its members 10 percent special concession on import duties on buses as against the present 35 percent duty being charged on imported buses. The association said the Federal Government should direct the Central Bank to prevail on all commercial banks to restructure terms of loan for businesses mostly affected by COVID-19 pandemic, especially the inter-state passenger transport. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Covid 19: Bowen University tasks government on post coronavirus fallout

By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo   THE Vice Chancellor of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, has urged governments at different levels to prepare for the aftermath of coronavirus as he opined that life would not remain the same afterward. While alerting the government of the effect of the pandemic on the economy, he charged the people to brace up for the challenges post COVID-19 will pose for the society, especially in the area of human relation. READ ALSO: BRAIN DRAIN: Beyond minimum wage, give doctors welfare package — LAGOS NMA Ogunwole who disclosed to this while donating relief materials to the people of Iwo and Oluponna to cushion the effect of lockdown on the vulnerable residents of the towns, said the world would not remain the same as global economy would rely more on virtual interaction, hence, the masses must be prepared for the new reality. While noting that the school’s gesture was to support government’s efforts in alleviating the sufferings of ...
Post a Comment
Read more