Early in June the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) announced the publication of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance, Fourth Edition
This Guidance has been produced by the ICS to help shipping companies and seafarers follow health advice provided by UN agencies and others in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), under the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR).
It is understood that this Guidance is for use on all types of ship and attempts to take into account the needs of both cargo and passenger ships. It is recognised that cargo ships are unlikely to have a fully trained doctor or nurse on board and that medical treatment on cargo ships will be provided by a crew member with training to Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) medical requirements.
This fourth edition replaces the ICS guidance published in September 2020 and should be read in conjunction with the three Covid-19 guidance documents published by ICS in 2021.
New in the Fourth Edition
The latest edition features the following:
- An updated introduction reflecting the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- A new section on myth busting advice during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- A new section on Covid-19 vaccines
- Updated downloadable posters, including three new posters featuring safety guidance for ashore and on board and mental health support for seafarers; and
- Two updated annexes with guidance on the use of masks and decision making for possible or confirmed Covid-19 cases on board.
The new publication at 3MB may be downloaded at no charge here: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance, Fourth Edition | International Chamber of Shipping (ics-shipping.org)
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A new heatwave, the fourth since the beginning of June 2022, is ongoing in central and western Europe.
According to the national weather services, air temperatures between 9 and 14 August could again exceed 44°C in Spain, 40°C in France, 35°C in the south of the United Kingdom and 30°C in the Netherlands.
At the Port of Guam on 10 August the US Coast Guard recognized mariners aboard the CGA CGM Herodote for their action to save lives in March this year.
Captain Nick Simmons, US Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, presented Captain Donald Moore and the crew a Coast Guard Certificate of Merit for their efforts to rescue fishers more than 100 miles off Japan after their vessel suffered a fire on 21 March.
Simmons said: ‘The efforts of Captain Moore and his crew honour the nautical tradition of assisting fellow mariners. Their bias for action and commitment were on display that day. Merchant mariners are an integral part of the global search and rescue enterprise, and especially in the vast Pacific, they are essential to saving lives.’
