Due to the Coronavirus, the Gothenburg Port Authority is currently requesting a Maritime Declaration of Health from all calling vessels at the Port of Gothenburg. This has been the case since Monday, February 3, and is requested until further notice.
If an approaching vessel states that it has an ill person on board who has been in a WHO-classified risk area, the port's quarantine plan will be activated and infection control doctors will be contacted. These doctors then make a medical assessment.
According to infection control doctors in contact with the Gothenburg Port Authority, pilots and other port staff can board without risk to their own health if they do not meet the sick person. The Maritime Declaration of Health covers, among other things, if someone in the crew has been in an identified risk area for the past two weeks and if someone is sick on board the ship.
The Gothenburg Port Authority is in continuous contact with infection control doctors in the Västra Götaland region. The request for a Declaration of Health to calling vessels is valid until further notice, with no set end date.
The Maritime Declaration of Health should be emailed to Port Control, at: portcontrol@portgot.se
Download the Port of Gothenburg Maritime Declaration of Health HERE.
Special routine for cruise ships
The situation for cruise ships however is different due to the large number of passengers and crew members compared to a freight vessel.
The routine for cruise ships has been adapted accordingly.
The cruise lines follow the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) coronavirus guidelines. Measures include the following:
- Passengers will be denied boarding if they have travelled from or transited any of the risk areas listed by the WHO in the last 14 days.
- Passengers will be denied boarding if they have been in contact with anyone exhibiting coronavirus symptoms.
- All passengers will be screened before boarding and the ships have additional medical expertise on board.
The majority cruise ships calling at the Port of Gothenburg are operated by CLIA-affiliated cruise lines.
If there is an outbreak on board, a medical assessment will be made by an infectious disease physician and the infected person or persons will be taken ashore. The general principle is that the Port Authority follows Public Health Agency guidelines and instructions and any other directives in force to protect against infectious diseases.
Source: Port of Gothenburg