The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) has ordered all ports in Cebu to implement stringent prevention measures following a recent Department of Health (DOH) confirmation of new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines.
CPA general manager Leonilo Miole has instructed all port managers to enforce a body temperature check for every passenger who enters the terminal through a non-contact thermometer and to ensure soaps are provided in all port comfort rooms and alcohol-based hand sanitizers in areas such as payment counters, main entrances, office doors, passenger terminal walkways and pre-departure areas.
Information sheets on COVID-19 and other materials from DOH are also to be installed and posted in Cebu baseport and subports to help raise public awareness about the virus.
“CPA continues to closely coordinate with our partner agencies especially with DOH in putting into place various frontline defense to prevent the possible entry of the virus in Cebu province via our ports. In fact, we already requested DOH Regional Office 7 to deploy medical officers and provide a standby ambulance in our ports,” Miole said in a statement.
In addition, temporary isolation rooms and holding areas in ports have already been designated to provide fast assistance and response to identified febrile persons at ports and minimize the risk of exposure to other port users.
To effectively implement port protocol for the denial of entry, detection and prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in the province, no foreign ships are allowed to dock and crew and passengers are not allowed to disembark unless permitted by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and the Bureau of Immigration through verified issuance of free pratique, shore pass or disembarkation permits and other pertinent permits. All visitation privileges of seafarers on foreign ships have also been suspended.
Moreover, all ships lying alongside a pier, wharf or bulkhead are required to deploy and attach rat guards to prevent the passage of rats between the ship and port.
CPA Port Safety, Security and Environment Management Department manager Glenn Sarador earlier said that from February 1 to 16, Cebu port reported a decrease of two vessel calls and a decline of 2,361 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) year-on-year.
Sarador said an average of 63 ships used to call Cebu port each month, of which 20 ships were from China.
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On port terminal operations, CPA is also strictly implementing guidelines and preventive measures to protect port employees against COVID-19.
All frontline port personnel are directed to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical or N95 masks, maintain clean hands and use hand sanitizers at all times, avoid close contact, and properly dispose of PPE after usage to avoid possible contamination and protect themselves from infection and deter any possible spread of the coronavirus.
All port police are also directed to monitor compliance of port stakeholders with the port protocol. Indiscriminate spitting within port premises is not be allowed, as pathogens of infectious diseases are found in the saliva, phlegm and other respiratory droplets.
“We are requesting the public to please support our efforts, comply with the enforced port protocol and most importantly practice personal protective measures such as hand hygiene, social distancing, and proper cough etiquette to help put a stop or slow down the spread of the virus,” Miole said.
Photo courtesy of CPA
