2022年3-5月高雄港入境船舶試辦COVID‑19篩檢及船舶疫情處置作為探討

Enhancing Disease Control on Inbound Ships: A Trial of COVID-19 Rapid Testing and Disease Control Protocols at Kaohsiung Port, March-May 2022

為防止傳染病經由海港傳入我國社區，來自境外之船舶皆須依法完成檢疫程序。2020年國際間發生多起船舶COVID 19群聚事件後，嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎中央流行疫情指揮中心持續訂定船舶相關防疫指引及原則，惟部分感染者為輕症或無症狀表現，且2022年1月高雄港發生港區從業人員COVID 19群聚事件，經調查感染源疑似來自國際航線船舶。為再強化高雄港進港船員健康監測，保障從業人員健康及鞏固社區防疫安全，經高雄市政府建議，指揮中心授權該府與交通部航港局南部航務中心於3月1日實施「試辦高雄港國際航線船舶船員篩檢方案」，並參考指揮中心原則規劃「全船隔離」、「全員更替」、「貨櫃船專案」三種染疫船舶應處方式。該方案實施期間高雄港有6艘船舶搭載COVID 19確診船員，共31人PCR檢測陽性，侵襲率介於14%至42%，分別有4艘以「全船隔離」、1艘「全員更替」及1艘「貨櫃船專案」方式防治疫情，同時維持船舶正常運作，處置經驗可提供政策調整參考。配合防疫政策放寬，2022年3月15日指揮中心持續修正船舶防疫措施指引，並訂定「船舶搭載COVID 19陽性個案應處原則」，給予更具彈性之處置方式，另制訂防疫計畫書範本，使制度更完備。

To prevent the introduction of cross-border infectious diseases, inbound ships entering international ports must adhere to comprehensive quarantine measures. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) enhanced quarantine procedures and established detailed guidelines. However, asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers pose a significant challenge for disease detection. In January 2022, an COVID-19 outbreak at Kaohsiung Port was linked to crew members on an inbound ship. To address these challenges, the CECC authorized a trial run of COVID- 19 rapid testing for merchant vessels entering Kaohsiung Port on March 1, 2022. The trial also developed three disease control protocols based on CECC principles. During the trial, six vessels with 31 affected crew members were identified. Attack rates ranged from 14% to 42%. To manage the outbreaks while minimizing disruptions to operations, four ships followed the ''onboard isolation protocol,'' one ship implemented the ''all crew exchange protocol,'' and one ship employed the ''container-ship protocol.'' These handling methods can serve as references for conducting disease control measures on board. On March 15, 2022, the CECC formulated the ''Principles for Handling Ships Affected by COVID-19,'' providing ship owners with more flexible management options and streamlining disease prevention proposal development. These comprehensive measures are crucial for safeguarding against the introduction of cross-border infectious diseases and protecting public health.