National Health Surveillance Agency Publishes New Guidelines

The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) is a regulatory body of the Brazilian government, created in 1999 during President Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s term of office. It is responsible for the regulation and approval of pharmaceutical drugs, sanitary standards and regulation of the food industry.

In order to set forth best practice on crew change in face of the pandemic, ANVISA published guidelines and necessary procedures for embarkation and disembarkation of crew members of vessels and platforms in Brazil.

The text compiles guidelines on screening crew members on a work schedule and preventive measures for embarkation and disembarkation of symptomatic and asymptomatic crew members.

The following guideline has been published by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency.

Care of The Crew on Vessels & Platforms

One of the essential measures is the screening of the crew, before the start of the work schedule, to identify possible cases of individuals with symptoms of COVID-19, in order to prevent the spread of the disease.

The guideline states that crew members must therefore comply with a 14-day quarantine at home or in a hotel before embarking on vessel / platform.

In those 14 days they will have their health monitored and, if they show respiratory symptoms or fever, they should be prevented from boarding.

The document also lists measures for the disembarkation of symptomatic and asymptomatic crew members, as well as the use of rapid tests, in addition to presenting tables with guidelines in the form of summary topics on home quarantine, quarantine in hotels, guidelines for mandatory isolation and hygiene procedures for the means of transport of those suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.

As already informed in our previous updates the disembarkation of foreing crewmembers in Brazil remains prohibited until the end of May.