On April 1, the MOT issued a Notice, saying that for the purpose of deepening the implementation and fulfillment of decisions and deployments from the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in respect of prevention and control of COVID-19 as well as strictly preventing import of COVID-19 through waterway ports, vessels engaged in international voyages shall be strictly prohibited from carrying any person other than crew members to enter into Chinese ports during the period for prevention and control of COVID-19. Any cargo vessel engaged in international voyages that intends to enter a Chinese port shall, after departing from her last foreign port, immediately submit the “Statement of Not Carrying Onboard Any Person Other Than Crew Members” signed by the captain to the local maritime safety administration of the place of the Chinese port, and shall confirm such statement when handling port entry formalities.

The Notice required to consolidate subject responsibility of shipping companies, establish and improve onboard personnel management system for vessels, ensure shipping companies vessels engaged in international voyages would not carry any person other than crew members during the period for prevention and control of COVID-19; masters and relevant crew members shall strictly implement relevant systems, enhance control at stairways and management for onboard personnel, and prevent irrelevant person from embarking. MSAs shall, upon handling ship’s port entry formalities, focus on check and verify vessel’s onboard personnel based on health information declared by the vessel for onboard crew members, and shall report any problem so found to the P.R China MSA of MOT within 2 hours, as well as informing check-and-verify units of relevant port in accordance with corresponding procedures.