MEMBER ALERT Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., Manager One Battery Park Plaza 31 st Fl., New York, NY 10004 USA Tel: +1 212 847 4500 Fax: +1 212 847 4599 https://www.american-club.com American Club Member Alert – February 1 8 , 20 2 2 1 FEBRUARY 18, 2022 REQUIREMENTS FOR PRE-ARRIVAL, COVID-19 TESTING ONBOARD FOR VESSELS SCHEDULED TO MAKE CREW CHANGES IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (PRC) The Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and General Administration of Customs of the PRC have recently jointly issued Ministry of Transport Announcement No. 14 of 2022, Notice on the remote prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic for the crew on ships on international voyages found in Mandarin and English. For vessels planning on making crew changes in the PRC, the Notice sets forth the requirements for seafarers to conduct onboard COVID-19 testing prior to arrival. In summary, all shipboard personnel are required to be tested prior to the ship leaving the last foreign port before its outbound voyage to the first port of arrival in the PRC. During the voyage, testing of all shipboard personnel is to be performed on the first, fourth, seventh and fourteenth days of the voyage as applicable depending upon the duration of the voyage. Ideally, the tests should be executed using a nucleic acid test (NAT), a form of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, but the use of rapid test kits is acceptable. Arrangements should be made by vessel operators in advance to obtain the required number of test kits on board. Testing of shipboard personnel is to be conducted under the supervision of the vessel’s master. Test results are required to be submitted to the relevant authorities directly from the vessel via the official mobile application as identified in the Notice, or via softcopy through the ship operator’s appointed port agent in the PRC. If any test results are found to be positive, a second test should be conducted, consequence upon which the two test results shall be submitted. Any seafarers found to be COVID-19 positive, or found to have any abnormal heath conditions during the voyage before arrival, must be reported to the PRC authorities. Members are reminded that the Club maintains a dedicated website space containing a range of information and updates on both the COVID-19 virus at: https://www.american-club.com/page/infectious_diseases Your Managers recommend that Members take note of this information and be guided accordingly. MEMBER ALERT Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., Manager One Battery Park Plaza 31 st Fl., New York, NY 10004 USA Tel: +1 212 847 4500 Fax: +1 212 847 4599 https://www.american-club.com American Club Member Alert – February 1 8 , 20 2 2 2 The American Club also thanks INTERTANKO for its inputs to this guidance.