US warns vessel owners on Ebola risks

2014-10-22

Vessel owners and operators are "highly encouraged" to report how long crew members have been on vessels that have visited Ebola-affected countries within its last five port calls, US regulators have warned.

In a US Coast Guard advisory issued on 17 October, information provided to the agency, as well as to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, should also include whether or not the crew member visited countries currently impacted by Ebola within the 21 days before embarkation.

"While this information is not required under current Coast Guard regulations, having reliable data available to document this history will help reassure the public and port stakeholders and facilitate cargo operations," the agency said.

The Coast Guard also recommended that local maritime representatives work with their Coast Guard Captain of the Port to consider, among other things, conducting a "table top" exercise to address issues such as evaluating how to handle a vessel arrival with a suspected Ebola case.

Source from : ihsmaritime360

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