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This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
The captain of a ship describes the way the crew are treated during Covid-19 as inhumane and as if they were in prison.
The crews of ships arriving in New Zealand ports cannot disembark and must wear personal protective equipment every time they are on deck.
This also applies to the New Zealand crew.
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Wayne Turner is the teacher of Captain Tasman, a container ship that sails between Mount Maunganui, Auckland, Noumea, Suva and Lautoka, making a round trip of 17 days.
New Zealand, Noumea and Fiji are countries without community transmission of the virus.
Turner said that indeed the crew was in constant isolation.
“There are people who are basically in prison. They can’t get off the boat, they can’t go for a walk, they can’t get fresh air, they can’t get off the boat.”
“It must be managed so that people can enjoy those basic human rights, provided that [they] take appropriate measures, they must be able to get off the boat, stretch their legs, [get] pure air, change of scenery.
“Just the normal things you need for psychological well-being, it’s worse than being in prison,” he said.
The crew were also not allowed to disembark in Fiji or Noumea, so they were trapped on board, Turner said.
“We do not have a license or visits.
“It is quite inhumane what seafarers have to face and for no real reason. It is a lack of understanding on the part of the powers that be as to the real risks that exist, which are negligible, if at all.”
Turner said that while the crew must wear personal protective equipment at all times while on deck in port and can be fined if they fail to do so, longshoremen who come on board to load or unload cargo do not have to.
“If I go up on deck while in New Zealand port, if Customs sees me [not wearing PPE gear] I may be liable for a fine of up to $ 2000. ”
He said all 18 crew members, including himself, have their temperatures taken twice a day and recorded.
“We don’t have any contact with the outside world effectively.”
Turner said that as a New Zealander, he had been tested for Covid and isolated for the past two months. He was unable to abandon ship or visit his home, family or friends from Mount Maunganui and they were unable to visit him.
“The house is basically 2-3 kilometers away.”
‘The government is simply not interested’
Some other members of the crew have not disembarked since March.
“It is quite inhumane to have been on board since March without ever being able to get off the ship.”
He said the most the crew could do was walk around the deck while at sea and the weather allowed, which was frustrating for them.
Turner is concerned for the mental health of his crew and many others at sea.
“The kind of people who are going to survive this kind of role are well used to it, but not to this point and I guess that’s the unfair and unreasonable part of us being used to being away from our families for months.” but you have the social aspects of being on board, which is walking ashore and time ashore in various ports and all that, but not having that is not good for you. “
When he finally gets to fire the ship, Turner must go into mandatory isolation for 14 days, minus the four days at sea sailing from Lautoka, after being effectively isolated for four months.
Turner said the plight of seafarers during Covid-19 has been ignored by the government mainly due to the small number of people and mostly foreigners.
“The government is simply not interested.”
He is also a solo yacht and is concerned about the hundreds of yachts that have been denied permission to sail to New Zealand to avoid the upcoming Pacific tropical cyclone season.
“They are as isolated from Covid as we are and they are in areas without Covid and yet they cannot go down to New Zealand unless you are on a luxury yacht and can go alongside Queens Wharf in Auckland which is currently happening. and so it’s a rule for one and a completely different rule for others, “he said.
A Customs spokesperson says that while it applies Covid-19 restrictions to seafarers, it has no control over changing the rules, which have been set by the Ministry of Health.
The Health Ministry said that due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, New Zealand’s maritime border requires testing, isolation and quarantine of the entire ship’s crew upon arrival in the country.
These requirements for cargo and shipping vessels are similar to those in many other parts of the world and the captain of any vessel intending to arrive in New Zealand must, before the vessel arrives in New Zealand, take reasonable steps to ensure that all people on board the ship are aware of the isolation or quarantine requirements.
Due to these current maritime border requirements under which much of the world operates, the Ministry of Health encourages shipping companies to review their schedules, which often have high port-to-port turnover, to allow sufficient time for that the crew have time ashore. once they have obtained a negative result.
Under normal circumstances, a person arriving in New Zealand on board a ship must remain in isolation or quarantine for at least 14 days on board the ship on which they arrived in New Zealand, but this includes time at sea and many ships cargo arriving in New Zealand. Zealand are long-haul and therefore the crew would not be required to stay in port for 14 days.
He said all crew members must meet low-risk indicators, including a negative test, before disembarking.
Responding to the Health Ministry, Capt. Turner said the guidelines assume vessels are at sea for 14 days or more to achieve isolation. Many ships are on rotations that do not have 14 days between international ports.
Captain Tasman stopover in Noumea, Suva, Lautoka, Tauranga and Auckland. There are no community cases of Covid in New Caledonia or Fiji.
He said no crew member in Capitaine Tasman They have been on shore leave since March and the maximum time at sea is four days, so they cannot meet isolation requirements.
Captain Turner said there is no Covid testing available to crew members in port, except for those who terminate their contract and return home. Crew members wishing to go ashore require 14 days of isolation, a Covid test and written approval from the Ministry of Health.
“The maximum time in port is two days, so it is not possible to meet the requirements.”
“The ship’s crew does not disembark at any port, so it is difficult to see how infection can occur,” he said.
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
