Zika Virus: China Requires Mosquito Eradication Certificates for Vessels

On 2 March 2016, the Chinese Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau together with the Ministry of Transport and other six relevant authorities jointly issued "Notice on Prevention and Control of ZIKA Virus". This Notice takes effect from 2 March 2016 and will be valid for 12 months.

The ZIKA Notice contains requirements that are relevant to crew members and vessels.

1. People travelling from ZIKA affected countries or areas, if having symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle and joint pain or rash, should declare verbally to the inspection and quarantine authority when entering the Chinese border. Where a person suffers from such symptoms after entering the border, he or she should go to a doctor immediately and report the travel history to the doctor;
2. People travelling from affected countries or areas should cooperate with the inspection and quarantine authority in performing temperature detection, medical inspection and epidemiological investigation;
3. Transportation vehicles as well as containers from ZIKA affected countries or areas shall have conducted effective mosquito eradication measures. Where there is no proof of such measures, immediate mosquito eradication will need to be performed under the supervision of the inspection and quarantine authority; and
4. Strict quarantine and inspection measures on transportation vehicles, cargo, container, luggage and postal parcels are expected to be taken.

At the time of writing, countries and areas listed as affected countries and areas by the Chinese authorities are as follows:

- Aruba, Bonaire, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Salvador, Guyana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, French Guiana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin, Sint Maarten, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago

- Samoa, American Samoa, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu

- Maldives, Thailand

- Cape Verde

Similarly, the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine ("AQSIQ") issued another notice on prevention and control of Angola Yellow Fever. The Yellow Fever Notice takes effect from 14 March 2016 and will be valid for 6 months.

Requirements in the Yellow Fever Notice that are relevant to crew members and vessels are as follows:

• People (over 1 year of age) travelling from Angola should present valid certificates of vaccination for yellow fever when entering the Chinese border. Where a person does have a valid certificate, the inspection and quarantine authority will quarantine the person for 6 days from the day when the person left Angola;
•  People travelling from Angola should declare verbally to the inspection and quarantine authority when entering the Chinese border in case they suffer from fever or jaundice. Where a person suffers from such symptoms after entering the border, he or she should go to a doctor immediately and report the travel history to the doctor; and
• Transportation vehicles and containers travelling from Angola should take effective mosquito eradication measures. The inspection and quarantine authority will inspect strictly on transportation vehicles and containers from Angola. Vessels should hold valid mosquito eradication certificate, otherwise immediate mosquito eradication should be performed under the supervision of the inspection and quarantine authority.