Led by the Ministry of Transport of PRC, Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 for Ports and Frontline Personnel (12th Edition) was reviewed. The main revisions are as follows:

i. According to the latest requirements, the nucleic acid testing requirements for personnel at ports, exclusive of those holding high-risk posts, were changed from "nucleic acid testing twice a week, with an interval of more than 2 days" to "voluntary test, if the local authorities have explicit requirements for port epidemics prevention and control , these requirements shall prevail".

ii. With respects to domestic trade operations within ports area, operators will no longer be restricted from boarding the vessel and the crew will no longer be restricted from entering the operation area of wharf.

iii. It is no longer necessary for the crew to provide the port enterprises with detection information of COVID-19 before the vessel calling at the ports, and it is no longer necessary for personnel entering the port to provide the health code or nucleic acid detection certificate within 2 days.

iv. Optimizing the requirements for emergency response to sudden outbreaks. In case of epidemic situation at ports, once measures are taken according to the local requirements, the substitute working team shall be sent to the ports as soon as possible to ensure the attendance rate of operating staffs and the normal operation at ports.

(Source: Water Transport Bureau, MOT)