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February 27, 2020
Dear Subscriber,
Dear Port of Baltimore tenant,
The MDOT Maryland Port Administration wants to provide you with information regarding the coronavirus. It is important to understand that currently we have no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Maryland.
We are in frequent communication with the Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Emergency Management Agency, United States Coast Guard, Maryland Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
From the CDC: The 2019 novel coronavirus strain has an impact in terms of respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. The CDC is still studying how the virus spreads, though it is thought at this point to be spread much like the flu.
Practicing good hygiene can help to limit the spread of viruses. The current recommended precautions to avoid exposure to the virus are the same precautions you would take to avoid the flu. To keep your family safe:
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Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick and do not return to work until you have been fever- free without the use of fever reducing medication for at least 24 hours.
- Cover your coughs or sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash; if tissues aren’t available, cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent the coronavirus but there is a vaccine for seasonal influenza which is recommended for all persons over the age of 6 months.
Below is a description of procedures for various situations where the coronavirus may impact MPA terminals:
Vessels in transit to the Port of Baltimore:
- Vessels are required to notify the Coast Guard 96 hours prior to entering U.S. territorial waters and will advise at that time of any ill crewmembers/passengers within the past 15 days.
- If a vessel has ill crewmembers/passengers, the Coast Guard will notify CDC who will be the lead agency and oversee procedures for vessel quarantine and isolation.
Vessels at Berth:
- Vessels are required to notify the Coast Guard 96 hours prior to entering U.S. territorial waters about ill crewmembers/passengers within the past 15 days.
- If a vessel has ill crewmembers/passengers, the Coast Guard will notify the CDC who will be the lead agency. The Port Administration will be advised on procedures for handling the vessel while alongside the pier.
Cruise Vessels:
- Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have instituted screening measures for passengers.
- If anyone in the party visited OR transited through coronavirus impacted areas in the past 14 days, they will be denied access to the cruise.
- Additionally, anyone having contact with persons having visited/transited those areas within the past 14 days will also be denied access to the cruise.
- Our cruise terminal operator, Intercruises, will have staff at front doors of the building during cruise days:
o They will ask for passports
o All passengers with passports from impacted areas not having visited/transited those areas within the past 14 days will be sent for secondary screening at the outside building (passenger comfort trailer) by the ship’s doctor and medical staff.
- If anyone fails a screening test, the doctor will contact the CDC, Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection. Additionally, the vessel agent will notify the MPA who in turn will notify MDOT and other appropriate state agencies as required.
We will continue to stay in constant communication with the organizations mentioned above. We will also provide updates to you as frequent as is necessary. The health and well-being of each of you is extremely important to us. In the meantime, you can find additional information about the coronavirus at:
Sincerely,
David M. Thomas
Acting Executive Director
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