The Port of Tagbilaran City in Bohol. | CDN Digital photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Passenger ships will no longer be permitted to enter and dock in any port in Bohol starting Monday, March 16, 2020, because the province is placed under community quarantine.
The Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7) said in a statement on Saturday afternoon, March 14, 2020, that this is in compliance with the order of Governor Arthur Yap of Bohol province.
This would be because Yap has ordered the lockdown of the province for a five-day preparation and establishment of measures to address the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat.
Bohol’s ports’ rules
From March 16 to March 20, 2020, the ports of Bohol will not allow entry of passenger ships. Cargo vessels may enter the ports provided they have been screened by the Bureau of Quarantine.
Read more: Bohol under 5-day community quarantine to ‘prepare for the worse’ of COVID-19
“All foreign vessels are not allowed to dock in all ports of entry in Bohol province. All members of the crew of vessels in anchorage shall not be allowed to disembark from the vessels for whatever reason,” said PCG-7.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Erick Salcedo, the spokesperson of PCG-7, said that the crew of cargo vessels would not be allowed to disembark from the ships to prevent them from mingling with the people in the ports of Bohol.
This will reduce chances of possible transmission of the virus.
However, cargoes can be loaded and unloaded from the ships so that supplies will still be able to enter and leave Bohol province.
Rolling cargoes such as trucks or vehicles cannot be unloaded from the ships because these have drivers with them. Anyone on the ship cannot disembark to the port.
Cebu City ports’ COVID-19 measures
Read more: Crew of international cargo ships cannot disembark in Cebu ports
Similarly, in Cebu, the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) and the Cebu City government have decided that all foreign vessels shall be screened prior to docking.
Mayor Edgardo Labella said that all ships will have to undergo screening from the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) beyond the Lawis Ledge of the Mactan Channel.
If the passenger or the crew will show symptoms of the COVID-19, they will be quarantined on the ship and will not be allowed to dock in any of the five ports in Cebu that are under the jurisdiction of Cebu City.
The ship may be allowed to temporarily dock in the Cebu ports if none of the passengers or crew will show symptoms of COVID-19, but they will not be allowed to disembark from the ships as well.
However, cargoes can still be loaded and unloaded from the ships./dbs