Port health controls in Brazil
read more
In late December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), detected in Wuhan, the most populous city in Central China, was reported to the World Health Organization. A month later, the SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In March 2020, when the first deadly case was recorded in Brazil, WHO escalated the outbreak into a global pandemic. In a matter of few weeks, five million deaths from the COVID-19 disease will have been recorded worldwide, despite the vaccination rollout.
During the year and a half year since the SARS-CoV-2 arrived in Brazil, multiple laws and regulations have emerged in response to the widespread viral transmission, which has claimed nearly 600,000 lives so far and further aggravated the already complicated socioeconomic and political situation of the country.
As fast as the pandemic advanced, the rules and procedures were revised and updated, making it hard to follow the regulatory framework’s evolution. The extensive and somewhat confusing health and travel restrictions are particularly challenging for visiting shipowners, captains, and crew members unfamiliar with the local language and the evolving regulations.
To help our clients and associates keep up with the ever-changing procedures, we have updated this publication with the latest recommendations and restrictions applicable to ports, vessels, and crew transfers. This practical guide also summarises the standing protocols issued by the port health authority on the identification and handling of shipboard COVID-19 cases, quarantine rules, crew changes and port services during the pandemic. For ease of access, the guide is divided into topical chapters identifying the source of information at a glance.
While specific advice on the current situation and health control measures at different ports should always be sought directly from the local maritime and health authorities concerned, we hope this guide will be a useful source of practical information, however fluid. We will endeavour to keep an up-to-date version available for free download on our website.
Please read our disclaimer.
Related topics:
