Shipowners, seafarers’ unions and maritime employer groups are establishing their own approved international network of quarantine facilities to ensure seafarers can safely join ships, despite unpredictable changes to government border policies.
因应疫情突变，不少政府边境政策近期难以预测，船东、海员工会和海事雇主团体正在建立海运业内自行批核的国际检疫隔离设施网络，以确保海员能够安全上船。
The move comes as the Omicron variant spurs governments to close their borders to seafarers needing to leave and join ships.
此举是因应Omicron新冠变种病毒株疫情引致不少国家政府急急封关，海员离船或上船愈见困难。
The Crew Enhanced Quarantine International Programme (#CrewEQUIP) is a partnership between the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC); the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS); and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). Collectively, the organisations represent more than 80 percent of the global merchant fleet and nearly-one million international seafarers through almost 200 affiliated unions.
船员加强检疫隔离国际计划(#CrewEQUIP)由国际海事雇主委员会(IMEC)、国际航运商会(ICS)及国际运输工人联盟(ITF)合作成立。该些组织集合代表全球80%以上商船队，以及经近200个附属工会代表近100万名国际海员。
#CrewEQUIP will create a list of trusted hotels available for crew quarantines that are independently reviewed. The programme is designed to overcome frequent changes in government border policies affecting international crew by having the highest standards and industry-best protocols in place, ensuring the scheme will continue to safely get crew to vessels even if governments increase their quarantine requirements.
#CrewEQUIP将创建一份可用于船员隔离检疫的可信酒店名单，酒店均经独立审核。该计划旨在透过制订最高标准和行业最佳的国际协议，来应对各国边境政策频繁变化，免国际海员工作受影响。该计划确保即使多国政府提高检疫要求，船员也能继续安全地送到船上。
The groups said the programme is urgently needed to avoid the shipping industry returning to the worst extremes of the crew change crisis, which saw 400,000 seafarers trapped working aboard vessels beyond their initial contracts in late 2020, with an equivalent number unable to join vessels and earn income.
这些组织表示，该计划有迫切需要性，以避免航运业重蹈覆辙，回到船员换班危机最严重时的极端情况。在2020年底，40万名海员合约期满，却因疫情被困船上，同样数量的海员则无法上船工作赚取收入。
While a global, permanent system with digital vaccine and testing recognition is still urgently needed, the groups said #CrewEQUIP would be important to have in place in the meantime to support greater levels of crew change. The groups welcomed the announcement this week of a new joint WHO-ILO-industry action group to advance digital ‘yellow cards’ for seafarers and other workers who need to cross borders for their jobs.
尽管仍欠缺一个数码化备存疫苗和检疫识别的全球永久性系统，这些组织表示，目前#CrewEQUIP对更大量船员换班很重要。他们对本周世界卫生组织、国际劳工组织及行业代表成立的联合行动小组表示欢迎，并希望为需要跨境工作的海员和其他工人，优化数码「黄卡」。
Under the #CrewEQUIP scheme, shipping companies and their representatives such as crewing agents and vessel managers are able to sponsor pre-embarkation quarantine facilities for seafarers to be considered for recognition. Facilities must meet #CrewEQUIP’s stringent standards for hygiene, testing integrity and data security.
在#CrewEQUIP 计划下，航运公司及其代表，例如船员代理和船舶管理人员，可以为考虑赞助供海员上船前检疫的酒店获得认证。设施必须符合#CrewEQUIP 在卫生、检测完整性和数据安全方面的严格标准。
A facility must also pass inspections by Lloyd’s Register, the programme’s recognised external auditor, to become and remain recognised #CrewEQUIP providers.
设施还必须通过该计划认可的外部审计，由英国劳埃德船级社检查，才能成为并保持为认可的#CrewEQUIP供应名单内。
From Thursday 16 December, shipowners, shipping companies and their representatives will be able to access the online booking portal to nominate pre-embarkation quarantine facilities at crewequip.org.
从12月16日星期四起，船东、航运公司及其代表可透过预订网站，提名登船前检疫设施，网址为crewequip.org。
