according to a circular from the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, the Hong Kong SAR Government has agreed to relax restrictions on crew changes for passenger ships,

The Administration Office has already exempted passenger ship crews from compulsory quarantine and will allow crew changes for passenger ships if specific conditions are met and the risk to public health is minimized. The Marine Department is sending relevant information to shipping companies and shipping agencies.

Previously, the Hong Kong SAR Government has exempted the mandatory quarantine of Covid-19 for cargo ship crew. At that time, the exemption covered crew members on ships not carrying out cargo operations in Hong Kong, facilitating crew changes of such cargo ships in Hong Kong.

Chan PuiShan, managing director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, said that the SAR Government was welcome to accept the proposal of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association to relax the crew change arrangements for passenger ships. Earlier, the SAR Government has relaxed the arrangement for the crew change of cargo ships. Under such difficult circumstances, these measures of the Government are very good support to both seafarers and the shipping industry, and which also proved once again to the world that Hong Kong is an international shipping center.

Liu Yang, chief representative of the China Office of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said that allowing passenger ships to change crews in Hong Kong was undoubtedly an even more remarkable move after the Hong Kong SAR Government extended in mid-June the scope of mandatory quarantine exemption for cargo ship crews to ships that did not operate in Hong Kong. Despite its own pressures from a major prevention and control of outbreak, Hong Kong illustrated a responsible image as the world’s most important hub port, facilitating crew changes for cargo and passenger ships. In addition, the Hong Kong airport has allowed transfer flights last month, it is believed that this can play a very positive role in promoting the shift change of non-Chinese crew in Hong Kong. He hoped the public to praise the Hong Kong SAR Government for its responsible behavior! It is also hoped that other governments and regions can actively follow suit and assume this global humanitarian responsibility, so as to protect the interests of the crew, ensure the safety of maritime transport, and ultimately ensure the stability of the global supply chain.

Source: http://www.ship.sh/info.php