**Executive Summary**
DGS Order No. 02 of 2020, issued on March 16, 2020, provides instructions for dealing with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). It requires various stakeholders to comply with specific measures to prevent the spread of the virus. All stakeholders must monitor the WHO, MoHFW, IMO, Ministry of Shipping & DG Shipping websites regularly and follow updated guidelines.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Shipping Companies & Ships:**
* Develop a disease outbreak management plan considering WHO guidance.
* Consider using onboard hospitals for isolating suspected cases.
* Develop protocols for managing suspected cases, including clinical management, cleaning, and disinfection.
* Plans should include pre-boarding and screening procedures, crew education on symptoms, and reporting procedures.
* Ensure proper disinfection of garbage landed ashore.
* **Recruitment & Placement Service (RPS) providers:**
* Minimize the physical presence of seafarers in their offices for sign-on and sign-off.
* Utilize online means like video conferencing for briefing and de-briefing.
* **Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs):**
* Basic, modular, simulator, and competency/preparatory courses are suspended from 16.03.2020 until further notice.
* Candidates may use the e-learning platform on the DGS website.
* The suspension period will be treated as holidays for attendance.
* Residential pre-sea courses may continue, following specific guidelines:
* Avoid travel, gathering, and restrict people coming from outside.
* Faculty should stay in the campus or travel in private vehicles.
* Sanitize themselves before campus entry.
* Practical training and group work are not to be conducted.
* Swimming pool and gymnasium should not be used.
* Sanitize the entire premises frequently.
* Maintain sufficient sanitizers and sanitization equipment.
* Arrange regular medical checks, quarantine individuals with fever, cough, or breathing difficulties and provide care.
* Avoid assembly of students outside classrooms and ensure safe distancing.
* **Seafarers:**
* Avoid shore leave in infected regions and consider risks before going ashore.
* Shore leave should be avoided during the pandemic and used only in emergencies with necessary precautions.
* Seafarers who have traveled abroad to infected regions should self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in India.
* **Competency Examinations:**
* All written competency examinations are deferred with effect from 24.03.2020.
* Resumption of the competency examinations will be intimated by subsequent orders and all candidates are required to monitor the DGS website for instructions regarding resumption.
* Oral examinations will continue as scheduled, subject to the candidate having no foreign travel history for 14 days prior and not displaying any fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and local government orders regarding congregation.
**Impact Analysis**
* **Shipping Companies & Ships**
**Impact**
Required to develop and implement enhanced safety and hygiene protocols to minimize COVID-19 transmission.
**Action Required**
Develop and implement disease outbreak management plans, adapt protocols, and ensure compliance.
* **Recruitment & Placement Service (RPS) providers:**
**Impact**
Required to adjust operational procedures to minimize physical contact and utilize online platforms.
**Action Required**
Implement remote briefing and de-briefing strategies and minimize in-person interactions.
* **Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs)**
**Impact**
Subject to restrictions on course delivery and required to implement strict hygiene and safety measures.
**Action Required**
Suspend certain courses, follow specific guidelines for pre-sea courses, sanitize premises, and monitor health.
* **Seafarers**
**Impact**
Face restrictions on shore leave and are advised to self-quarantine if traveling from infected regions.
**Action Required**
Avoid shore leave, practice self-quarantine if necessary, and follow government instructions.
* **Candidates of Competency Examinations:**
**Impact**
Written competency examinations are deferred.
**Action Required**
Monitor DGS website for updates. Oral examinations continue as per schedule subject to the candidate meeting certain health and travel conditions.
Key Entities Referenced
Directorate General of Shipping (DGS): The issuing authority of the order, responsible for maritime affairs in India.
COVID-19: The novel coronavirus that is the subject of the instructions outlined in the order.
Shipping Companies & Ships: A key group affected by the policy, required to develop disease outbreak management plans.
World Health Organisation (WHO): An advisory and source of guidelines for developing the disease outbreak management plan.
Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs): Subject to specific instructions regarding the conduct of courses.
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DTRECTORATE GENERAT OF SHtpptNG, MUMBAT
F. No. 7-NT(72)/2014 Date: 16.03.2020
DGS Order No. 02 of 2020
Subiect: Instructions on dealins with novel coronavirus (COVID-l9) - res.
1.
The Directorate has issued maritime advisory on new coronavirus vide M.S. Notice
02of 2020 on28.01.2020, M.S.Notice 03 of 2020 dated04.02.2020 & M.S. Notice 06 of
2020 dated03.03.2020 (F. No. 7-NT(72)12014).
2.
The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-l9) cases have been confirmed in large number of
countries due to which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has characterized, COVID-19
as a pandemic.
3.
The Intemational Maritime Organisation (lMO) has issued circular letter No.4204 I
Add.3 dated 02.03.2020 providing operational considerations for managing COVID-19 cases
/ outbreak on board ships prepared by WHO and is available at the following below link:
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Add.3.pdf
4.
Considering the gravity of the situation and considering that isolation is the most
important way to prevent the spread of the virus, all stakeholders listed below are required to
comply with the following:
A.
Shippine Comnanies & Ships
5.1 All Indian ships are advised to develop a disease outbreak management plan for
dealing with outbreak taking into consideration the interim guidance issued by WHO. While
developing the plan, vessels may consider using the hospitals onboard the ships for isolating
suspected cases until they are disembarked and transferred to a healthcare facility. Also,
adequate protocols need to be developed for managing suspected cases on the vessel
including clinical management, cleaning and disinfections of possible contaminated areas etc.
5.2
The plan may also need to include provisions regarding pre-boarding procedures,
screening procedures, educating crew on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the
disease, reporting procedures etc. In addition, garbage required to be landed ashore from
vessels may need to be properly disinfected to ensure that there is no possibility of
transmission of the COVID-I9 disease from the landed garbage.
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qilflTel.: gl-22-25152040/l/2/3, +-1'{TtFa x.:91-22-25752ozsffs {-+rr-mail: dlship-dgspnic.in t+qa /wersite: www.dgshipping.gov.inB. Recruitment & Placement Service (RPS) providers
6.1 All Recruitment & Placement Service (RPS) providers are required to ensue that the
requirement of physical presence of seafarers in their offices for the purpose of seafarers'
'sign-on' and 'sign off from ships are kept to the minimum.
6.2 All RPS providers may consider using online means like video conferencing etc., for
briefing and de-briefing purpose to the extent possible.
C. Maritime Training Institutes (MTI's)
7.1 All the basic courses, modular courses including simulator courses and competency /
preparatory courses stand suspended from 16.03.2020 till further orders. No MTI shall
conduct these courses till formally notified by this Directorate. The remaining portion of any
training shall be resumed after normalcy and subsequent DGS Orders. Meanwhile, the
candidates may access e-leaming platform on the DGS website to go through the 23 STCW
modular courses as mentioned in the Annexure to DGS Training Circular No. 01 of 2020
dated 07.02.2020. The period of suspension shall be treated as holidays for the purpose of
calculation of attendance olthe candidates.
.2 All MTIs conducting the residential pre-sea courses may continue conducting only the
7
pre-sea course. However, the MTIs are requestbd to follow the guidelines given below.
7.2.1 As far as practical avoid travelling, gathering and restrict people coming from outside
into the campus. Faculty, should preferably stay in the campus or travel in private vehicles.
They should also sanitize themselves before entry the campus'
7.2.2 Practical training and group work / exercises shall not be conducted. Swimming pool
and gymnasium should not be used. The entire premises including the hostel block, mess
room, library, academic block etc. to be frequently sanitized.
7.2.3 MTI's shall ensure that sufficient sanitizers are maintained at the premises at all times
and shall also make such sanitization equipment available at all locations which are
commonly used.
7.2.4 MTI's shall make arrangements for regular medical checks of all residents and
maintain such records. Any individual found with fever and / or dry cough and / or difficulty
in breathing may strictly be quarantined and given necessary medical care.
7.2.5 As far as possible, MTI's shall endeavour to avoid assembly of students outside the
classrooms and ensure that they maintain safe distance from each other as per the MoHFW
advisories.
D.
Seafarers
8.1 All seafarers need to avoid availing shore leave in infected regions and consider the
risks involved before desiring to go ashore in other regions. Availing shore leave during the
pandemic may need to be avoided and used only in exigencies with necessary precautions.
Page 2 of38.2 Seafarers who have travelled abroad to infected regions are advised to self-quarantine
immediately on arrival in India for at least a period of 14 days.
E.
Competencv Examinations
9.1 All written competency examinations stands deferred with effect from 24.03.2020.
Resumption of the competency examinations will be intimated by subsequent orders. All
candidates are required to monitor DGS website for instructions regarding resumption of the
competency examinations.
9.2
Oral examinations will however continue to be conducted as per schedule. However,
the oral examination is subject to the candidate having no travel history of foreign travel for a
period of 14 days prior to the orals and not displaying any fever and / or dry cough and / or
difficulty in breathing. Also, Orders of the local Govemment with respect to congregation of
persons etc. need to be followed.
10. All stakeholders including Indian shipping companies, Recruitment and Placement
Service providers, MTI's, seafarers are required to comply with the instructions of the
Government. All stakeholders are also once again advised to continue to closely monitor the
WHO, MoHFW, IMO, Ministry of Shipping & DG Shipping websites on regular basis and be
guided with the updated guidelines issued from time to time.
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Amitabh Kumar
Director General of Shipping
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