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CYPRUS – WORLDWIDE – This week Cypriot Shipping Deputy Minister, Vassilios Demetriades wrote to both the EU Transport and Health Commissioners and the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Secretary-General outlining proposals to better ensure the safe vaccination of all crew against the Covid virus.
The Minister suggested that seafarers involved in short sea traffic should all be immunised locally whilst deep sea staff should be vaccinated ashore and those at sea designated as ‘bubbles’ in isolation. In all cases the vaccines used should be subject to a globally agreed standard with adequate numbers of approved vaccines, acceptable to all governments, administered in the seafarers country of residence to before travelling to join their ships.
Feb 11 2021 European Commission and IMO urged to lead on a coordinated approach to solving crew change crisis. The Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry (SDM) has formally proposed a practical, global approach to delivering COVID-19 vaccinations to seafarers in response to the worldwide crew change crisis. Over the past year, the need to class seafarers as key workers has received widespread support, with Cyprus now taking this one step further in suggesting the foundation of a feasible solution to inoculations. In letters to the EU Transport and Health Commissioners and IMO Secretary-General, Cyprus Shipping Deputy Minister, Vassilios Demetriades outlined the two strands of the proposed programme and emphasised the need for a practical, feasible and collective approach to addressing the issue of seafarer inoculations. The letter emphasised Cyprus’ determination to work with all interested parties at a global level to enable crew changes to take place,
Cyprus has formally proposed a practical, global approach to delivering Covid -19 vaccinations to seafarers in response to the worldwide crew change crisis.