Friday, 4 September 2020

Information for Essential Travellers – Commercial Transport and Freight Services

4 September 2020

There are no updates this week to South Australian Directions for Essential Travellers, Commercial Transport and Freight Services.

Some frequently asked questions with respect to Maritime Crew Essential Travellers can be found below.

Freight Movement Code

National Cabinet endorsed the Freight Movement Code for the Domestic Border Controls – Freight Movement Protocol to become an enforceable Code.

It is important to note that South Australia has already implemented the majority of measures, including;

• 7 day testing cycle, if essential travellers have not had a test within the last 7 days they will be directed by an authorised officer to obtain a test as soon as practical and within 24 hours,
• Heavy Vehicle testing sites with hours of operation and sites under review to better reflect industry needs,
• requirements to have the appropriate PPE and a COVID-19 safe work plan.

Future activities include working with other states to ensure that there is national recognition of COVID-19 safe work plans and proof of testing requirements.  Please ensure you obtain and keep proof of testing, eg receipt, text or photo, to show an authorised officer if requested.

COVID Marshals for Distribution Centres

The SA Government has updated the requirements for Public Activities.

COVID Marshals are required at venues including freight distribution centres.  Marshals have a highly visible presence and assist to monitor capacity, physical distancing and infection and hygiene controls.

Testing Stations

SA Pathology’s mobile collection services provides free COVID-19 testing for interstate truck drivers and interstate travellers requiring swabs. No booking required. Testing sites are located at:

• Bordertown
  Border Site, Dukes Highway
  Open 0800 to 1600h, seven days per week
• Mount Gambier
  Border Site, Princes Highway
  Open 0800h to 1600h, seven days per week.
• Yamba
  Yamba Quarantine Station, National Highway, A20
  Open 0700h to 1900h, seven days per week.
• Tailem Bend
  Caltex Service Station, 8786 Princes Hwy
  Open 0800h to 1600h, seven days per week.
• Port Augusta
  Puma Port Augusta Truck stop, Lot 8, National Highway 1
  Open 0800h – 2300h, seven days per week.

Please note testing site hours of operation may vary depending upon staffing availability.

Road Border Entry Requirements

All Commercial Transport and Freight Services Essential Travellers into South Australia are required to complete a cross border registration form at least 72 hours prior to arrival.

Commercial Transport and Freight Services Essential Travellers approved to enter SA from NSW, ACT and Victoria must  produce evidence of having a COVID-19 test, or a COVID-19 test result, that is not more than seven days old, upon request from an Authorised Officer (eg SA Police Officer), or obtain a test within 24 hours on entering SA.

Police Officers at the border will note whether evidence of a test was sighted or a direction to obtain a test was given.  You can use the referral form you received at the border to attend a drive-through testing clinic. SA Police has advised that some drivers are attempting to cross the border multiple times without undertaking a test and in these instances you may be denied entry by an authorised officer until you undertake a test.

All commercial transport and freight Essential Travellers who are residents of Victoria must wear a face mask when entering South Australia and self-quarantine in their truck or other private arrangements when not undertaking work-related duties. This is not a requirement for essential freight workers who are not Victorian residents.

There are no restrictions on travellers who have completed cross border registration from low community transmission zones such as NT, QLD, WA and TAS provided that they have not been in any other place than the low community transmission zone within the last 14 days. There is no requirement to self-quarantine while waiting for test results; unless displaying symptoms of COVID-19.

Maritime Crew Essential Travellers

Maritime crew arriving into South Australia from overseas via aircraft must reside and remain, quarantined and segregated from others, at a location determined by an Authorised Officer for a 14-day period starting at the time of their arrival.

It is important that travel logs are maintained to provide evidence of where you have been in the last 14 days.

All essential travellers working within SA are required to comply with the 7 day testing regime. Noting that maritime are captured under freight and transport you can have a day 1 test on arrival, and then day 12 test.  Alternatively, you can provide proof of a test or test result in last 7 days on entry.

1. Do international MCET need to quarantine/self-isolate when arriving by vessel at an SA port and, if so, when and under what circumstances and what do they have to comply with when working at the port or leaving the port for any purpose and then returning to the ship eg, masks, close contact log etc?
   
   International MCET are captured by Section 9 Overseas arrivals and therefore must quarantine in a facility directed by SA Health – unless the crew has been at sea for 14 days or more and the vessel is cleared by ABF/Quarantine and the Chief Biosecurity Officer (Section 10(b)).  In SA once you stop work you must quarantine or leave the State immediately.  No contact records are required to be kept as you would have completed 14 days of quarantine (either at sea or in accommodation).
2. Do national MCET need to quarantine/self-isolate when arriving by vessel at an SA port and if so when and under what circumstances and what do they have to comply with when working at the port or leaving the port for any purpose and then returning to the ship eg masks, close contact log etc?  
   
   This depends on your travel plan.
   • Any crew of a vessel that leaves Qld, WA, TAS or NT and does not stop in NSW or VIC is totally unrestricted, provided that crew has been in only these States in the proceeding 14 days.
   • Crew that have been in NSW/ACT within the proceeding 14 days have no requirement to self-quarantine when not working. You are subject to conditions outlined in Schedule 1 – part 3 Commercial Transport and Freight Services.  You must keep contact records.  No requirement to where a mask.
3. Do international MCET need to quarantine/self-isolate after flying into Adelaide Airport if so when and under what circumstances and what do they have to comply with when travelling to a port to board a ship?
   
   You are treated the same as an international arrival and must quarantine at a location specified by SA Health.  There is the ability for a person travelling in, to travel directly to their vessel and board and leave immediately on approval from SA Health. When not travelling to and from their location of work you must quarantine at a place determined by SA Health.
4. Do national MCET need to quarantine/self-isolate after flying into Adelaide Airport if so when and under what circumstances and what do they have to comply with when travelling to a port to board a ship? This depends on your travel plan.
   • Any crew of a vessel that leaves Qld, WA, TAS or NT and does not stop in NSW or VIC is totally unrestricted, provided that crew has been in only these States in the proceeding 14 days.
   • Crew that have been in NSW/ACT within the proceeding 14 days have no requirement to self-quarantine when not working.  You are subject to conditions outlined in Schedule 1 – part 3 Commercial Transport and Freight Services. You must keep contact records.  No requirement to where a mask.
   • Crew that have come from Victoria in the proceeding 14 days are required to self-quarantine at a suitable location of their choice, must maintain contact records and must wear a mask when interacting with the public.
5. Do national MCET need to quarantine/self-isolate if they need to travel by vehicle across borders to a SA port to begin work ?
   Must travel direct to the location and wear a face mask when interacting with the public. Self-quarantine when not working if from, or have been in, Victoria in the previous 14 days. Must maintain contact records.

Fact sheets, linked below, have been provided for the Maritime industry to detail; an overview of Australia’s requirements for maritime crew, and,  Updates to PPE recommendations for marine pilots.

Self-Quarantine Requirements

When self-quarantining, once the person has arrived at the place to commence self-quarantining they must;

• Stay in that place segregated from other persons for the period beginning on the day of arrival and ending at midnight on the 14^th day; and
• Where they are residing and remaining at short term accommodation they must inform the owner or operator that they are self-quarantining.

Updates relevant to industry directions issued in South Australia,