New rules issued today will allow shipping companies to change over crews in the Northern Territory, Australia. The new directions also preserve the exemption from mandatory quarantine for seafarers.
Restriction… and exemption
The rules in Northern Territory follow a now familiar format: there is a broad sweeping rule or restriction and that is followed by a broad exemption for certain classes of people / workers.
Hugh Crosbie Heggie, the Chief Health Officer of the Northern Territory, today issued the new Directions for Territory Border Restrictions (No 32) 2020, which broadly require anyone entering the Territory to go into 14-days of mandatory quarantine.
However, there are a wide range of exemptions for various categories of essential personnel.
Exemption for commercial vessel crew
The Chief Health Officer has issued another, separate, set of directions specifically for the crew of merchant ships. The “COVID-19 Directions (No. 31) 2020 Commercial Vessels – Crew Directions” allow the crew of commercial vessels to enter, leave and travel across the Territory without entering into quarantine.
The Commercial Vessels – Crew Directions specifically do not apply to cruise ships.
Summary of the Commercial Vessels – Crew Directions
A summary of the key points of the Northern Territory’s Commercial Vessels – Crew Directions can be found on our COVID-19 info pages under the entry for the Northern Territory.
Anyone interested in obtaining further, comprehensive, details should read both the Directions for Territory Border Restrictions (No 32) 2020 and the COVID-19 Directions (No. 31) 2020 Commercial Vessels – Crew Directions“.
Both sets of Directions took effect at 12:00 noon on 21 May 2020 and remain in force until otherwise revoked or superseded.
