Brazil Postpones Carnival celebrations in Two Major Cities Due to Epidemic
The mayors of Brazil's two largest cities, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, announced their decision to postpone Carnival celebrations until April on the evening of 21 January in view of the significant increase in cases of COVID-19 in Brazil due to the COVID variant of Omicron.
Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo both have larger Carnival samba touring events each year. Due to the epidemic, both cities have previously announced the cancellation of their street carnivals, keeping only the A-group and special group Samba school competitions on the Samba Avenues.
2022 Since the New Year, Brazil has seen a significant rebound in the epidemic, with more than 200,000 new cases in a single day for the first time on 19 January.
According to the COVID-19 Global Port Restrictions Map, Brazilian ports also updated their port policies on 24 January 2022 in the wake of the new omicron outbreak.
1. Are there any restrictions on vessels whose previous port call was from COVID -19 high risk countries?
As per Brazilian Sanitary Authority Technical Note No. 65, all vessels are authorized to berth and operate as long as crew members on board are healthy and documents submitted to local Port Authorities are in order. However, crew shore leaves are still forbidden (except in case of medical emergency) as well as, if a vessel has called high risk country less than 14 days prior arrival in Brazil, Sanitary Authority may require that same stays under quarantine until the 14 days are completed prior to granting Free Pratique (subject to specific regulation at each Brazilian port).
2. Crew Change permitted?
• Yes, but subject to the following conditions:
#Joiner(s):
①Holder of valid Passport and Seafarers Identity Document (SID) or Seaman´s book
②Negative result of RT-PCR test performed with maximum 72 hours validity prior to boarding the incoming flight to Brazil (or rapid antigen test with maximum 24 hours validity in advance) is required to be presented by all foreign seafarers during check-in. If the flight schedule exceeds 72 hours, then a new test has to be performed and negative result must be presented before boarding last leg flight to Brazil.
③A Passenger's Sanitary Declaration must be filled in by all arriving crew members and must be kept on hand (or available in electronic means) in order to be presented during flight check-in to Brazil and/or upon arrival.
④Present vaccination card which proves the application of vaccine(s) against COVID that are duly approved by World Health Organization (WHO) or Sanitary Authority from crew home country whose application of the last dose (or single dose) has occurred at least 14 days before the date of the flight to Brazil.
#Off-signer(s)
①Holder of valid Passport and Seafarers Identity Document (SID) or Seaman´s book issued in the terms of the International Labor Organization No. 185 (ILO 108 is being exceptionally accepted up to May 1st, 2022) and/or working VISA (if required).
②Perform COVID test while still on board (RT-PCR performed at max. of 72 hours or Rapid Antigen performed at max. of 24 hours prior to disembarkation date) and present negative test result in order to apply for disembarkation permission together with additional documentation such as (subject to specific regulation at each Brazilian port).
3. Other Restrictions:
As per Brazilian Sanitary Authority Technical Note No. 584, in case of any positive case detected on board, all crew will have to be tested (RT-PCR), and vessel to be quarantined for a period of 14 days, after which, all crew will have to be re-tested. If no other positive case detected, quarantine will be lifted. However, in case of any positive case is detected again after second testing, then a new quarantine period of 14 days will be required for vessel and crew members.
On E-PORTS platform, COVID-19 global port restriction map collects information of main ports in the world and releases authoritative and official announcements of various policy changes caused by the COVID-19. Looking for more details about port restrictions and crew change, please visit: https://www.e-ports.com/app/virusmap.html
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