COVID-19 Resources for Employers

Situation: Positive crewmember is up to date on vaccination

Exposed crew: 3 up to date on vaccination, one unvaccinated and not recovered from COVID-19 in the prior 90 days

Actions:

• Positive crewmember isolates on land for at least 10 days
• Exposed crew must quarantine
  • Crew up to date on vaccination should test now. If negative, they may continue to work masked for 10 days. If they develop symptoms, they should test and isolate. They may wish to test at day 5 after exposure as well.
  • Unvaccinated crewmember should quarantine on land for 10 days with a test on day 5.
• Can you add new crew?
  • This is a challenging question as new crew are going to be exposed to crew that is in a quarantine period. If you are going to add new crew, they must be up to date with vaccination or recovered from COVID-19 in the prior 90 days and preferably low risk for severe COVID. All crew should remain masked at all times during the quarantine period and should symptom screen daily.
• What happens if someone tests positive during quarantine?
  • If someone tests positive, the clock starts over for the exposed crew. The positive person should isolate on land, the rest of the crew should test and restart a 10 day quarantine.

Situation: 3 positive crewmembers

Exposed crew: all up to date on vaccination

Actions:

• If medically stable, positive crewmembers isolate on board for 10 days. Crew may isolate in the same room.
• If crew are essential and required for operations, consider a shortened isolation period. Crew must be up to date on vaccination or recovered from COVID-19 in the prior 90 days and asymptomatic to consider this. Isolate for 5 days, test after day 5 with a rapid antigen test. If negative, crewmember may work if masked at all times for the full 10 days if remains asymptomatic. Crew may continue to bunk with other positive crew. If symptoms develop, isolate for 10 days.
• Review the Modified Quarantine and Modified Isolation guidelines on page 9 of the Washington State Commercial Maritime guidance.
• Test close contacts (bunk mates, nearby workers) at baseline.
• Symptom screen all crewmembers and isolate and test if symptomatic.
• For exposed close contacts, test again on day 5 after exposure ad every 3-5 days post-exposure as testing supplies allow until 10 days after exposure. If new cases appear, the 10 day clock starts over.
• Close contacts should mask for 10 days when possible. Close contacts may continue to bunk together. Close contacts should be assigned to areas where they will not expose others if possible.
• For remainder of vessel, test if symptomatic.

Situation: Two positive crewmembers

Exposed crew 20 up to date on vaccination, 3 not fully vaccinated and not recovered from COVID-19 in the prior 90 days.

Actions:

• Isolate positive crew for 10 days, may isolate together if necessary.
• If testing supplies allow, test remainder of crew at baseline.
• Symptom screen all crew daily and test and isolate if symptoms.
• If space allows, quarantine exposed crew separately.
• Quarantine not fully vaccinated crew for 5 days. If symptoms develop, test and isolate.
• Crew up to date on vaccination may continue to work if baseline test negative. Mask at all times for 10 days. Stagger meal times and distance to reduce exposure. Test exposed crew at day 5. If symptoms develop, test and isolate.
• If exposed crew test positive, the clock restarts on quarantine. If testing supplies allow, test crew at baseline and restart 10 day quarantine.