Previously, the Singapore authorities have made clear that they take a harsh view of those who flout Covid-19 measures and become a danger to society.
So when the marine industry seems to be developing into a likely hotbed for the coronavirus, you know something will be done about it.
And they are. Doing something, that is.
2 COVID-19 Community Cases in Marine Sector Might Have Broken COVID-19 Rules That Led to Infection
Authorities in Singapore are now investigating the two marine Covid-19 cases for possible infringement of Covid-19 rules.
The first case is the marine surveyor at inspection services firm Lloyd’s Register Singapore who tested positive on 29 Dec 2020.
Another is a marine service engineer at Master Systems Marine who returned positive results on 26 Dec 2020.
Both of them have reportedly consumed food provided by the crew onboard the vessels, a big no-no in this Covid-19 pandemic.
In a joint press release, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), Enterprise Singapore (ESG), the Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that they are investigating to see if there are any breaches of Covid-19 regulations.
Consequences
For the marine service engineer detected earlier, his company, Master Systems Marine, has been stopped from sending any of their employees onboard vessels until it can prove that its employees can abide by the Covid-19 regulations.
Similarly, Lloyd’s Register Singapore has suspended all its shipboard activities and audit and will be testing all of its employees for Covid-19.
It was added that pending investigations results, further actions could be taken against the companies and individuals.
Two Covid-19 Clusters From The Two Marine Cases
As of Saturday (2 Jan), the two clusters from the marine cases stand at 4 cases each.
For the marine surveyor, two of the cases are students of Raffles Girls School (RGS). One is a family member of the marine surveyor while the other is a friend of hers.
For the marine engineer, the three cases are family members residing in the same household.
Revamp Of Covid-19 Measures In The Marine Sector
Due to the recent cases within the marine industry, the authorities are now looking at reviewing the personal protective equipment (PPE) and infectious control measures.
In addition, they’ve also made a few changes as well.
The first is a tightened testing regime.
All shore-based personnel going onboard ships, about 20,000 of them, has to take the PCR test within the next seven days.
The Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) for shore-based personnel going onboard ships will be tightened as well, and they’ll have to be tested every 7 days, instead of 14 days.
All shore-based personnel will also need to give MPA advanced notice before they can board ships to carry out activities.
Boarding is also only allowed when all the ship crew test negative for Covid-19.
Enforcement checks will be stepped up by relevant agencies to ensure compliance of the regulations.
Needless to say, the consequences for errant companies and individuals are dire.
Feature Image: Travelpixs / Shutterstock.com
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