New Requirements on Queensland Port Entry in response to containing the COVID-19 outbreak 20 March 2020

UPDATE

Advise has been received that the Queensland Maritime Safety Authority Has now made Singapore exempt from the precautionary measures, please see follows;

I made the decision today to exempt Singapore from the Direction based upon the stringent COVID-19 precautionary measures that have been adopted in Singapore, as well as this nations relatively lower level of infection rates.

The Singapore-Brisbane container trade is also source of essential imports to Brisbane, much of which is under extreme pressure following the disruption to production in China over the preceding months. Singapore as such qualifies as constituting ‘a significant disruption to the supply of essential trade to the State’.

In granting this exemption I am also conscious of the welfare of seafarers and the ability to have some respite and getting ashore. Whilst the steaming time from Singapore to Brisbane only 8-10 days, many of these vessels then proceed to southern state ports and will qualify as serving a 14 day isolation and thus can proceed ashore provided no signs of illness are displayed.

In assessing all requests I will continue to be guided maintaining the well being of Queensland’s maritime workforce and our international seafarers, as well as ensuring the continued provision of vital maritime services in-and-out of Queensland ports over the coming challenging months

Regards,

SILA Customer Service