The International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) – managed by Thomas Miller – has warned of the importance of checking crew Covid-19 tests.
The insurance provider said it recently handled a case that brought the issue to light. The case involved a ship manager arranging for a crew change in Manila.
Both the agent and the local authorities at the discharge port discovered in the documentation that one of the crew who signed on at Manila had tested positive for Covid-19. Unfortunately, the ship manager, the port agent at Manila, the health immigration authorities, and the vessel’s master missed the positive test result. The delays resulting totalled eleven days.
ITIC reimbursed the ship manager but encourages all parties to remain vigilant and to check documentation thoroughly.
“Covid-19 testing is likely to be a feature of seafaring life for some time to come, and a simple oversight such this can result in costly delays to the vessel and its cargo as well as causing unwelcome disruption for the crew,” the company said.
