Request for notification of any person or crew member on board that has a serious illness or any COVID-19 symptoms - SSB No.: 02/2021 (modified August 12, 2022)

Purpose

This bulletin is to let you know about the reporting requirements when any person or crew member on board has a serious illness or any COVID-19 symptoms.

Scope

This bulletin applies to the owners, operators, and masters of vessels that report to the Canadian Coast Guard through the Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre (MCTS) in all of the local zones and offshore systems:

• the Northern Canada Vessel Traffic Services Zone (NORDREG)
• the Eastern Canada Vessel Traffic Services Zone (ECAREG)
• the Vessel Traffic Services Offshore (VTS Offshore)
• the Local Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Zones

What you need to know

On top of the usual reports, a vessel's master, other than the master of a cruise ship (as defined in Interim Order No. 3 Respecting Vessel Restrictions and Vaccination Requirements Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)), must also contact the nearest Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre (MCTS) to report whether any person or crew member on board has a serious illness or any COVID-19 symptoms. These new reporting requirements can be found in the publication Radio Aids to Marine Navigation under sections 3.5 and 3.8.

• The master must also send an update to the MCTS if more people on board start to get sick

Also note that Masters of vessels, other than cruise ships, transiting in Canadian waters west of the St. Lambert lock on the St. Lawrence River and in Canadian waters of the Great Lakes must report whether any person or crew member on board has a serious illness or any COVID-19 symptoms to the closest MCTS Center or any applicable vessel traffic centre.

Foreign flagged vessels and Canadian Flagged vessels, other than cruise ships, arriving in Canada from international voyages are reminded to inform Transport Canada of any illness when submitting the 96 Hour Pre-arrival Information Report (PAIR) and advising Transport Canada of any illness or change in crew health in accordance with the Special Marine Security Notifications in force. COVID-19 measures, updates, and guidance for marine transportation issued by Transport Canada.

Owners, operators, and Masters of vessels are also reminded to consult the following documents for additional reporting requirements they may be subject to related to COVID-19 and the health status of persons onboard their vessels:

• Ship Safety Bulletin No. 17/2021
  • Outlines additional reporting requirements for Authorized Representatives of Canadian vessels, other than cruise ships, that operate with 12 or more crew on board, including ferry vessels and passenger vessels that provide essential services.
• Ship Safety Bulletin No. 18/2021
  • Outlines reporting requirements for Authorized Representatives of Canadian Cruise Ships and Foreign Cruise Ships operating in Canadian waters.

Questions?

If you have questions or comments about this ship safety bulletin, please email:
marinesafety-securitemaritime@tc.gc.ca.

COVID-19 measures, updates and guidance for marine transportation

Keywords

1. COVID-19
2. reporting
3. symptoms
4. illness

Questions concerning this Bulletin should be addressed to:

Contact us at: Email: marinesafety-securitemaritime@tc.gc.ca or Telephone: 1-855-859-3123 (Toll Free).