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The collegiate board of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) approved this fourthOn Friday (8), unanimously, a proposal that deals with sanitary measures for the operation and loading and unloading of platforms and cargo vessels in Brazilian ports.
In a note, Anvisa informed that the objective is to reinforce actions to combat Covid-19 in the country, especially given the circulation of the Ômicron variant, with special attention to the embarkation and disembarkation of crew members in Brazilian ports.
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Vaccination proof
According to the approved text, before granting access to vessels and platforms, those legally responsible must require crew members, suppliers and professionals from the port community to comply with various health requirements, including the presentation of proof of complete vaccination against Covid-19. .
For the rapporteur of the matter, director Alex Machado Campos, the agency considered immunization “a guiding principle of sanitary measures for the operation and for embarking and disembarking from platforms located in Brazilian jurisdictional waters and cargo vessels”.
Testing and symptoms
Proof of a laboratory test such as RT-PCR or RT-LAMP (molecular tests used for diagnosis) with a negative result, carried out 72 hours before boarding, must also be required. Non-reactive results from a rapid antigen test (IgG and IgM) carried out 24 hours before travel may be accepted.
In addition, the standard provides for pre-boarding screening to identify symptoms of the disease.
Sanitary measures
The proposal also addresses preventive measures against Covid-19 that have already been widely publicized, such as hand hygiene, social distancing and the use of face masks. There are also items related to cleaning, disinfection and solid waste management protocols on vessels.
Case notification
The text provides for the establishment of contingency plans and the notification of suspected and confirmed cases of the disease to Anvisa. According to the standard, after a case is identified on the vessels, everyone on board will be considered contacts of the confirmed case and will be monitored.
Crew change and quarantine
The annex to Anvisa's proposal provides options involving crew changes, work quarantine or vessel quarantine to manage vessels with one or more cases of Covid-19.
The items will be chosen by the person legally responsible for the vessel, who must take into account the location of the port, the itinerary, the availability of alternative crew and the necessary operational and logistics capacity. The chosen option must be previously approved by the agency unit responsible for the port.
Clipping: DATA | Source: Agência Brasil
