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Ministry Of Health News

19 Jul 2021

New Zealand: Two Crew Members Test Positive for Covid-19 on Quarantined Container Ship

New Zealand authorities said Monday that two symptomatic crew members onboard the Mattina container ship, currently in quarantine in Bluff, have tested positive for COVID-19.The Marshall Island-flagged vessel came into port Sunday night and all 21 crew members were tested Monday morning."Rapid tests were ordered for the two symptomatic cases. Health officials report their condition is regarded as improving. The test results for the remainder of the crew are due back later tonight," New Zealand's Ministry of Health said."Both crew members who've tested positive, joined the ship in Singapore on 2 July after providing negative pre-departure tests," the Ministry said."Health officials in Southern DHB are working with other agencies to determine the next steps for the ship.

29 Mar 2021

More Stormy Seas Ahead for the Cruise Sector

© junce11 / Adobe Stock

The cruise industry has weathered many storms, including fairly regular brushes with disease. Outbreaks of norovirus, H1N1 and measles have all happened in the not too distant past. Despite this, a cruise has traditionally been regarded as a safe holiday—the kind where you don’t have to worry about a thing.COVID-19 has changed this. Cruise ships were a hotbed of transmission during the early stages of the pandemic, particularly the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined for six weeks in Japan in spring 2020.

17 Aug 2020

Crew Tests Positive for COVID-19 in Singapore

© MAEKFOTO / Adobe Stock

Fifteen Filipino seafarers aboard a Bahamas-flagged cargo ship have tested positive for COVID-19 in Singapore, local authorities said. Singapore's Ministry of Health reported the first positive case from the unnamed oceangoing vessel on August 12, followed by 14 additional confirmed cases from the same ship, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.The 15 crew members were working on board a Bahamas-registered ship which arrived in Singapore from India on August 8 to conduct repairs and refuel.All crew members of the ship did not disembark.

31 Jul 2020

Four Crew Members on Hurtigruten Cruise Ship Hospitalized with COVID-19

Roald Amundsen (File photo: Hurtigruten)

Four crew members on a Norwegian cruise vessel were diagnosed with COVID-19 after it arrived at the Arctic port of Tromsoe early on Friday, said the University Hospital of North Norway where they are being treated.All 160 crew members on the Roald Amundsen have been quarantined on the ship, while the 177 passengers - all of whom have already disembarked - are being contacted by telephone and are being told to self-isolate, operator Hurtigruten said.“By the time we were notified, the passengers had left the ship,” Tromsoe municipality chief doctor Kathrine Kristoffersen told a news conference.

13 May 2020

Namdock is Back to Business

Photo: Namdock

Namibian ship repair company Namdock has resumed full operations with effect from Tuesday, in accordance with the inception of stage 2 of Namibia’s national COVID-19 lockdown, which has seen the partial easing of restrictive measures thanks to the recent flattening of the minimal in-country infection curve.“Over the past few weeks we have put strict personal protection and sanitization measures in place, to ensure that we could safely resume full-capacity operations when the time came.

07 May 2020

Cyprus Adopts Formal Crew Change Process

© Alexey Seafarer / Adobe Stock

The Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry (SDM) formally announced it has adopted a new process to facilitate crew changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crew changes for vessels are possible in Cyprus provided certain conditions are met. The relevant decrees issued by the Ministry of Health also permit the long-term stay in anchorage of vessels, including cruise ships (warm lay-up).Cyprus is actively supporting and implementing such measures, in support of recommendations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO)…

06 May 2020

Baleària Vessels to Be Certified as COVID-19 Safe

(Photo: BaleĂ ria)

Shipping line Baleària says it is working toward being the first in the world to obtain the Global Safe Site COVID-19 badge at the highest level (Excellence) from certification and inspection body Bureau Veritas, certifying that its ships and the ferry terminals that it manages implement specific procedures, cleaning plans, organizational and personal protective measures to prevent COVID-19. The carrier will also periodically test for the possible presence of the virus on surfaces…

20 Apr 2020

Carnival CEO Defends Company's Safety Record

Arnold Donald (Photo: Carnival)

Carnival Corp Chief Executive Officer Arnold Donald defended the company’s safety record on Thursday, telling reporters in a media call that Carnival followed protocols from international authorities while handling high-profile coronavirus outbreaks aboard two of its ships.On Feb. 3 the company’s Diamond Princess cruise ship was quarantined in the port of Yokohama, Japan, where 712 passengers were ultimately infected in what was then the biggest concentration of confirmed cases outside China.

12 Mar 2020

Vietnam Turns Away Cruise Ship Over Coronavirus Fears

© Darryl Brooks / Adobe Stock

Health authorities in the southern Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh want to stop a Bahamas-flagged cruise ship with Italians on board from docking at the economic hub on Friday over coronavirus concerns, state media reported.The Health Department on Thursday advised the People's Committee of the city not to allow passengers on the cruise liner, Silver Spirit, to disembark, the Tuoi Tre newspaper said.The department said the move is aimed at "limiting the intrusion of disease into the city"…

28 Oct 2019

Diversity, Tech on Tap at WISTA Conference

Despina Theodosiou (Photo: WISTA International)

A top hostage negotiator, the CEO of a company which supplies environmental products to ship owners and operators and the heads of two maritime technology firms are all part of an impressive line-up of speakers scheduled to speak at the 2019 Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) AGM & Conference which takes place next week from Tuesday, October 29, to Friday, November 1. The four-day event is being hosted by WISTA Cayman Islands and is expected to bring over 200 maritime experts from 30-plus countries.

15 Jul 2019

Singapore Ranked World's Top Shipping Center

For the sixth year running, Singapore has clinched the top spot among the world's maritime centers in the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index.The island city-state in Southeast Asia beat 42 other cities such as Hong Kong, which ranked second, as well as London, which ranked third.Based on the evaluation scores, Singapore shows strength in ship management and shipbroking services, while Hong Kong is benefiting from China’s Belt and Road Initiative and economic opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.London’s first-class services in shipbroking, legal and shipping finance were highlighted.

03 May 2019

Scientology Cruise Ship Gets Measles Vaccine

Health officials for the Caribbean island of St. Lucia furnished 100 free doses of measles vaccine to a Church of Scientology cruise ship placed under quarantine in port after the highly contagious disease was diagnosed on board, the island's chief medical officer said on Thursday.St. Lucia health officials have confirmed one case of measles aboard the ship that has been docked in a port near the island nation's capital Castries since Tuesday, Dr. Merlene Frederick-James said in a video statement."The confirmed case as well as other crew members are presently stable but remain under surveillance by the ship's doctor," Frederick-James said, noting the incubation period of measles is 10 to 12 days before symptoms appear.The St.

10 Apr 2019

Singapore Seeks Marine Digital Transformation

Singapore's maritime sector is preparing to ride the wave of digitalisation as a means to chart next phase of growth. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will focus on digitalisation to help companies innovate and improve productivity over the next three years, said Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport & Ministry of Health.The Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) will also present the Singapore Maritime R&D Roadmap 2030 to optimise R&D efforts and resources for greater value co-creation within the maritime industry.Ms Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA, said, “Innovation and digitalisation are key areas for Maritime Singapore to sharpen our competitive edge. We recognise that some companies need help to kick-start their digitalisation journey.

17 Oct 2018

Singapore Pact for 3D Printing in Maritime Sector

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing.The two MoUs are: a) An MoU with PSA Corporation Limited (PSA), the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) and 3D MetalForge Pte Ltd (3D MetalForge) to establish the world’s first on-site AM production facility for port applications; and b) An MoU with NAMIC and the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) to collaborate on an AM Joint Industry Programme (JIP) for marine parts.The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health…

16 Oct 2018

Wärtsilä Launches Acceleration Center in Singapore, Co-Creates IntelliTug

Photo: Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä has opened its purpose-built Acceleration Center in Singapore to promote innovation and collaboration with industry, academia and local partners to strengthen and develop Singapore’s maritime ecosystem. The opening follows an agreement signed between Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Wärtsilä in April 2018 to collaborate in areas of intelligent vessels, connected smart port operations, cyber-physical security, and digital acceleration with start-ups.

12 Jan 2018

Road Map to Boost Singapore Maritime Industry

Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health, launched the Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map (ITM) at the annual Singapore Maritime Foundation New Year Cocktail Reception. Developed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in partnership with the industry, unions and other government agencies, the Sea Transport ITM builds on MPA’s strategic long term plans to develop Singapore’s next-generation port and strengthen our international maritime centre (IMC). Specific initiatives have been laid out under the Sea Transport ITM to catalyse innovation, drive productivity improvements, as well as enhance the skills of the maritime workforce.

07 Jun 2017

Singapore Inspires Start-ups in Maritime Sector

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has launched the first Smart Port Challenge 2017 (SPC 2017) welcoming close to 190 registered participants from the technology, start-up and the venture capital (VC) community as part of MPA’s wider effort to develop innovation. The event was officiated by Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health. Building upon the last two Smart Port Hackathons driven by MPA in 2014 and 2015, SPC 2017 was conceived to encourage further collaboration between organisations and start-ups to push digital transformation in the maritime industry. The six-month…

16 Jul 2016

Promoting Facilitation in Fiji

A National Seminar on Facilitation of Maritime Traffic is being held in Suva, Fiji (13-15 July). The event aims to assist Fiji to more effectively implement the Convention of Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL) and to advise on the recently-adopted amendments to the Annex to the FAL Convention. The seminar has been organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF), and is being attended by 26 participants from ministries with responsibilities in the clearance of ships, cargo, crew and passengers at ports of Fiji, and private stakeholders. IMO is represented by Julian Abril.

24 Jul 2015

Nile Collision Death Toll Rises to 31

The death toll from a boat collision on Egypt's Nile river Wednesday has risen to 31, a ministry of health spokesperson told Reuters on Friday. The accident occurred on the Nile near Giza, across the river from Cairo, when a barge collided with and overturned a small recreational boat carrying tens of passengers on Wednesday evening. The search for additional victims continues, and it remains uncertain how many passengers were aboard the two boats, the spokesperson said. Reporting by Eric Knecht

22 Jun 2015

NYK Recognized Parent-friendly Third Time On

NYK has been recognized as a parent-friendly company by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for a third consecutive term, previously receiving recognitions in 2007 and 2011. During this period, all female employees giving birth participated in NYK’s child-care leave program. In addition, various support schemes for child-rearing employees were introduced, child-care leave for fathers was promoted, and the amount of overtime was reduced. These achievements were evaluated, and the company was then presented with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “kurumin” accreditation recognizing the company as parent-friendly and confirming the company’s measures to support the development of the next generation.

06 Jan 2015

Danish Maritime Authority Use Open Mail Lists

The Ministry of Health and the Danish Maritime Authority both take part in a pilot project with open mail lists, starting on 1 January 2015. The Danish Maritime Authority as well as the Ministry of Health have been appointed to take part in a pilot project on open mail lists, starting on 1 January 2015. The pilot project has its background in the revised open administration act that entered into force on 1 January 2014. The purpose of open post lists is to provide citizens and media with a better possibility of becoming aware of documents, etc. that are sent to and from public authorities. As of 1 January 2015 – in practice as of 5 January – an open mail list will therefore be available from the Danish webpage of the Danish Maritime Authority containing information about the letters…

09 Dec 2014

PMA Among First to Use PurpleTrac

PurpleTrac

The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) has become the first port state to use Pole Star’s PurpleTRAC sanctions compliance and risk management service as part of its wider port risk management strategy and as a precaution against the outbreak of Ebola. As part of the PMA’s risk management strategy, all ships intending to enter a Panamanian port are required to post arrival data via their agent into the PMA’s system. In an enhancement to that process, the PMA will use PurpleTRAC to…

26 Sep 2014

Preventive Measures at Panama Canal Against Ebola

The Panama Canal Authority, in coordination with the country's Ministry of Health (MINSA), is taking the following measures to prevent the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and protect Canal workers and customers. The Maritime Sanitation Unit of MINSA is the authority responsible for investigating and authorizing the necessary clearance to board vessels with suspicious or reported EVD cases. * The Authority is continuously monitoring the last 10 ports of call for all vessels arriving at Canal waters and will immediately alert MINSA's Maritime Sanitation representatives of any vessels arriving in Canal waters whose previous 10 ports were from an Ebola affected country.