The U.S. Coast Guard has issued the following Marine Safety Information Bulletin. It's available on the agency's website HERE. COVID-19 Crew Change Issues The COVID-19 pandemic has significant impacts on the U.S. Marine Transportation System, the Global shipping industry and on seafarers themselves. Travel restrictions imposed by governments around the…
Mar
18
Mar
11
The United States Committee on the Marine Transportation System is calling for U.S. mariners to be reclassified to Phase 1(b) when it comes to prioritizing them for COVID-19 vaccination. The committee is a federal interagency coordinating group chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. They have published a “white paper”…
Mar
08
The CDC recently issued guidance indicating that COVID-19 vaccines should not be delayed because of testing for TB infection. Testing for TB infection can be done before or at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccination. If it is not done at the same time, the TB test should be…
Feb
24
The Defense Department has posted a video of DOD Secretary Lloyd Austin discussing COVID-19 vaccines. The video is available here: https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Video/videoid/784646/ As provided by DOD, this is the text of the video: Hello there, I’m Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense. I wanted to speak with you today about the coronavirus…
Feb
14
The recent executive order concerning masks on public vessels and the related CDC guidance has caused some confusion in the industry. While vessel operators are within their rights to require masks to be worn at all times aboard their vessels, a number of our contracted companies are awaiting clarification from…
Feb
09
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted the following information. For a PDF version, click HERE. To access the COVID-19 section of the CDC website, click HERE. Vaccines (shots) are one of the tools we have to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. To stop this pandemic, we need…
Jan
29
Seafarers are asked to consider participating in an anonymous survey (“Mariner Mental Health Needs during COVID-19”) conducted by the University of Washington. As noted on the landing page: “Results from this survey will be used by federal agencies, vessel owners/operators, mariner unions, maritime training institutions, seafarer welfare organizations and MTS…
Jan
28
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted the following information. For a PDF version, click HERE. To access the COVID-19 section of the CDC website, click HERE You can help stop the pandemic by getting a COVID-19 vaccine. To stop this pandemic, we need to use all…
Jan
20
The U.S. Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center recently circulated multiple Marine Safety Information Bulletins (MSIB) that are relevant to many SIU members. Updates from those bulletins follow. TWIC Extension As laid out in Maritime Safety Information Bulletin number 13-20, “For mariners already holding a Merchant Marine Credential (MMC), if their…
Jan
18
U.S. Maritime Alert 2021-002A Threat Type: Upcoming Mariner Travel Requirements Change Geographic Area: Worldwide (for all air passengers entering the United States) Retransmittal of State Department COVID-19 Traveler Information dated January 12, 2021: “Effective January 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will require all air passengers arriving…