COVID-hit vessels from Indonesia unload cargo in Albay
A cargo vessel from Indonesia that was accompanied by a towing vessel carrying 11 crew members infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) unloaded some 8,000 metric tons of its steam coal cargo at a port in Albay on Friday, July 23, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.
Upon the approval of the Bicol Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and concerned government agencies, personnel of the PCG Station Albay supervised the towing operation of the barge "Claudia" and towing vessel "MT Clyde" at Lidong port in Sto. Domingo, Albay.
The PCG said the operation was conducted after the "alarming" listing or tilting of the barge due to the soaking of the minerals in rain and seawater.
“The Bicol IATF and concerned government agencies came to the conclusion that barge Claudia needed to disembark its cargo -- 8,000 metric tons of steam coal -- to avoid possible marine environmental disaster,” the PCG said in a statement.
The Coast Guard deployed three maritime security and monitoring teams on board three rubber boats, including one from the Philippine National Police – Maritime Group (PNP – MG).
After the operation, MT Clyde, which carries 11 crew members who tested positive for COVID-19, remained at sea approximately 500 meters from Lidong port in compliance with the guidelines of the Sto. Domingo local government unit.
The PCG said personnel of the station Albay were on standby while waiting for the new schedule of repeat Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests for the entire 19-member crew aboard the vessels.
Last July 14, Claudia and MT Clyde arrived from Indonesia and docked at the Butuan Port in Agusan del Norte to deliver some goods when the crew members were subjected to RT-PCR tests.
The Claudia and MT Clyde were already on their way to a port in Albay when the crew were informed that 12 among the 20 seafarers onboard the barge and towing vessel tested positive for COVID-19.
It was found out that one of those who tested positive actually disembarked at the Butuan port, leaving 11 COVID-positive crew members onboard the vessels.
The PCG bared that the owner of the MT Clyde is set to provide a private medical team to conduct COVID-19 tests on the seafarers, based on the guidelines provided by the Department of Health (DOH) and Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).
Captain Wilmo Maquirang, commander of PCG Station Albay, assured the residents that they are continuously conducting seaborne patrol and in full control of the situation, with assistance from the PNP – MG, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Sto. Domingo local government unit, and BOQ.
READ MORE: PCG tightens security watch on vessels with COVID-positive crew in Albay port