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Tanker crew quarantined after COVID 19 infections

The 'New Ocean 6' has been quarantined on Jan 5, 2021, and will cease all operations until further notice after nine COVID-19 cases were linked to it, by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The bunker tanker will need to review all its procedures before it is allowed to resume operations, said MPA in a statement. The first case was an Indonesian crew member who tested positive for COVID-19 infection on Dec 30, 2020 after arriving in Singapore on Dec 17. All crew members arriving from overseas to work on board harbourcrafts have to go through 14 days of quarantine. They must also be tested negative for COVID-19 infection at the start and end of their quarantine period in their home country. They are tested again upon arrival in Singapore and need to self-isolate in a room until their test results are known, before boarding the harbourcraft. The Indonesian crew member tested negative on Dec 1, Dec 6 and Dec 17. He started work on the bunker tanker after his test result on Dec 17 returned negative for the virus. All the remaining 13 crew members were quarantined from Dec 31. Following the case, eight other Indonesian crew members and a Singaporean crew member were reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to have tested positive for COVID-19 infection. The foreign crew members on board the bunker tanker did not disembark prior to being tested positive. The Singaporean crew member was a cargo officer who certifies bunker delivery on board the vessel. He was one of the two community COVID-19 cases reported in the night of Jan 5. The cargo officer was on board the 'New Ocean 6' from Dec 21 to Dec 23 and from Dec 28 to Jan 2. The tanker ceased all operations until further notice.