China: Covid-19 tests prior to entering shipyards in Shanghai & Zhoushan

The UK Club’s Correspondents in China, Huatai Insurance Agency & Consultant Service Ltd, would like to alert Members to recent cases where crewmembers onboard ships were required to perform antibody testing in addition to NAT (swab) tests prior to entering shipyards in Shanghai and Zhoushan. In one such case, a crewmember tested negative for NAT, but positive for antibodies. The result was that the yard would not permit the ship entry until the crewmember was considered free of infection. The ship's schedule was consequently delayed.

Members are kindly alerted to exercise caution and awareness of such risks in Chinese ports, especially at shipyards in Shanghai and Zhoushan, where COVID antibody testing may be required simultaneously with NAT, which may cause delays due to the following reasons:

i. It will take at least 24 hours to obtain the antibody test result; much longer than for obtaining the NAT test result.

ii. When a COVID antibody test result is positive, further testing would be required so as to rule out the risk of infection. This may take several days.

Members who have repairs scheduled in Shanghai or Zhoushan are recommended to contact their local agents as early as possible for the latest quarantine and testing requirements, so as to avoid unexpected delay.