Government ignores its own COVID-19 guidelines, document shows
THE controversial entry and departure from Honiara of the vessel Papa Mau last month appears to show the Government has ignored its own guidelines for all foreign ships that travel to Solomon Islands.
The Solomon Star has obtained a copy of the Shipping Advisory Notice Number 02, dated 28 May 2021.
James Remobatu, who is the Secretary to Cabinet and Chairman of the Oversight Committee, signed off on the introduction to the document.
At the same time, the document dismisses the conspiracy theory that the trip to Honiara by the Cook Islands’ registered vessel, Papa Mau was organised by Jimmy Rodgers, the Secretary to Prime Minister (SPM).
Dr. Rodgers is caught up in the travel ban in Suva, Fiji where he and his family are having their annual leave since May 20 this year.
But the document showed the Oversight Committee appeared to have ignored the strict guidelines it had set up to counter the emerging threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guidelines were signed off by Mr. Remobatu, the chair of the COVID-19 Oversight Committee.
He wrote: “As a result of the deteriorating global COVID-19 situation over the past few weeks, and the increasing incidence COVID-19 positive crew members of cargo vessels, marine tankers and fishing vessels over the past month, the Solomon Islands Government has set out specific guidelines for:
- All foreign ships that travel to Solomon Islands;
- All domestic vessels re-entering Solomon Islands from overseas trips; and
- All vessels that have had contact at sea with other vessels in the high seas or Solomon Islands EEZ prior to entry in, the 16-page document said in its introduction.
These guidelines, it said, cover six categories of vessels, namely Cargo ships, Marine Tankers (for petroleum and LPG gas), Logging vessels, Fishing vessels, Landing Crafts, Tugboats and Barges and Yachts and Pleasure crafts.
“These guidelines may change from time to time as the COVID-19 situation globally and in Solomon Islands changes. The guidelines aim to provide a balance between the need to protect the country from COVID-19 and the need to protect its economy through expedited but safe clearance of ships to enhance trading of goods and services in the country,” Mr. Remobatu said.
There are four annexes provided in the advisory, which came into force on 1st June this year.
“All ship owners, operators and shipping agents are asked to observe and strictly abide by these new guidelines. Failure to observe these guidelines will attract penalties,” he said.
In it, the government also introduced a three-tier classification of countries where ships travel to Solomon Islands.
Each category has a required mandatory quarantine period at sea [RMQPaS] before it can be cleared and berthed in Solomon Islands ports.
Tier 1 covers all Pacific Island Countries where the “required mandatory quarantine period at sea is five (5) days. Tier 2 covers Australia and New Zealand. A seven-day (7) ‘required mandatory quarantine period at sea [RMQPaS] applies.
Tier 3 covers all other countries, including China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, other Asian (countries), European and South, Central and North American countries. A 14-day ‘required mandatory quarantine period at sea, applies.
In the case of Papa Mau, the ship arrived on 14th July and left the next day, although one account suggested the ship arrived on the 15th July and departed for Nauru in the evening of the same day.
The document also shows that there is another committee below the main COVID-19 Oversight Committee. It is called the Vessel’s Exemption Committee [VEC], which “has the ability to grant some exemptions for vessels to be cleared below the minimum mandatory quarantine period at sea for each tier.”
This is provided “the conditions set out in the guidelines and specified for the vessels are met by the ship’s master and crew, and (ii) the risk of COVID-19 presence and/or transmission in the vessel is assessed by the Committee as low or negligible.”
In the case of a foreign crew who needs to disembark for any reason including medical or other emergencies, the company and or agent must follow due process to apply for permission for the foreign crew to disembark.
Disembarkation can only occur once approval is given by the Prime Minister; the names of the crew members are published in the gazette, all requirements are met and immigration visa requirements are met, the document said.
By Alfred Sasako
Newsroom, Honiara
