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Title: Regulations Governing Quarantine at Ports CH
Amended Date: 2017-10-17
Category: Ministry of Health and Welfare(衛生福利部)
Chapter 1 General Principles
Article 1
This set of Regulations is formulated in accordance with regulations of Paragraph 3, Article 59 of the Communicable Disease Control Act.
Article 2
The terms used in this set of Regulations are defined as follows:
1. Ports: refer to both international and domestic ports established within the border of the country;
2. International ports: refer primarily to ports for the entry and exit of international transportation means and their personnel or specifically designated areas of port;
3. Domestic ports: refer to ports other than the international ports;
4. Port administration, management institutes (institutions): refer to institutes that are by law responsible for the administration and management of ports, or public or private enterprise institutes that are entrusted, appointed, enacted by the port competent authority to be responsible for the administration, managements of ports;
5. Conveyance: refers to ships, air craft;
6. Domestic continuing voyage: refers to that during the period, the ship, since its entry from foreign country or boundaries into the country or boundary till it sails away, continues to sail to or anchor at other ports of the country;
7. Ship sanitation certificate: refers to Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate or Ship Sanitation Control Certificate;
8. Patients of communicable diseases: refer to persons who have been infected with communicable diseases or are suspected of being infected with communicable diseases or persons who are infected with pathogens of communicable diseases.
Article 3
The quarantine authority of international ports is the Centers of Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare; the quarantine authorities of domestic ports are the local health competent authorities where the ports are located.
Article 4
Quarantine authorities, when detected communicable diseases or suspected communicable diseases, shall convey information of patients with communicable diseases or their contact to the local health competent authority of residence for post entry follow-up.
Article 5
International port administration, management institutes (institutions) shall jointly organize with quarantine authorities working groups or meetings to coordinate all institutes (institutions), public and private enterprise institutions, to assure that the port has the following capacities:
1. To provide passengers with appropriate medical care services;
2. To provide passengers with safe and sanitary environment, including potable water, food, washing facilities, and wastes disposal service, control of indoor air quality and vector control;
3. To timely and adequately respond to public health events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern.
Article 6
Quarantine authority may set up quarantine stations at ports in handling following matters:
1. Surveillance of the health conditions of personnel;
2. Quarantine of conveyances;
3. Surveillance of vectors in the port areas and conveyances;
4. Other matters announced by the central competent authority.
Article 7
When there are fears of domestic or international epidemic conditions entering, exiting the country (boundaries), the quarantine authorities may take the following measures; if necessary, various institutes (institutions), public and private enterprise institutions may be requested for assistance or collaboration:
1. To impose restrictions and disease control measures on personnel, goods, postal parcels, baggage, remains, containers, and cargos and conveyances;
2. To supervise owners of conveyances, users, managers, drivers or agents (hereafter refer to as persons-in-charge) as well as all institutes (institutions) ,public and private enterprises institutions in the port area to implement measures for environmental disinfection or vector control.
The above-mentioned measures shall be mobilized by the port administration, management institutes (institutions) and conducted in collaboration with all institutes (institutions), public and private enterprises institutions.
Chapter 2 Quarantine of Conveyances
Article 8
Conveyances shall be subject to quarantine inspection, except for conveyances in any of the following situations:
1. For military use;
2. Navigating between domestic ports only; or
3. Transit without embarking or disembarking of personnel or loading and unloading of cargos, and exiting the port within 24 hours.
Any conveyance mentioned under the subparagraphs of the preceding paragraph that is found to carry a patient with communicable disease or the remains of such patient during voyage, or is in need of other controls shall still be subject to quarantine inspection.
Article 9
Inbound ships entering international port from other countries (boundaries) shall within 4 to 72 hours, report the following by their shipmaster to the quarantine authorities:
1. Name of ship, call sign and voyage number;
2. The last port of departure, date and time;
3. Name of port anchored during the 30 days prior to arrival and the date of departure;
4. Expected date and time of arrival;
5. Types of Sanitary Control Certificate for ship, issued date and place;
6. Number of crew and passengers;
7. Any deaths or patients with communicable diseases on board within 30 days prior to arrival and their relevant information;
8. Any deaths from unknown causes within 30 days prior to arrival;
9. Any breeding of rats or vectors;
10. Other relevant matters.
When sailing time of this voyage is less than 4 hours, upon approval of the quarantine authority, it may complete reporting prior to voyage.
If death occurs or patients with communicable disease detected after reporting, it should immediately be reported the relevant information to the quarantine authority such as the number of infections or deaths, their names, symptoms or causes of deaths.
Upon reviewing of reports mentioned in the preceding first three paragraphs, if the quarantine authority decides that the ship in question is in no danger of transmitting communicable diseases, entry permit will be granted.
Article 10
Inbound ships arriving from foreign countries shall submit to the quarantine authority the following information to complete port entry quarantine formalities:
1. Maritime Declaration of Health;
2. Ports of call;
3. Ship Sanitation Certificate;
4. Other information necessary to quarantine.
The following ships may be waived from submitting documents mentioned in Subparagraphs 1 through 3:
1. Yacht under 500 tons;
2. Barges without power;
3. Fishing boat other than those for deep-sea fishing.
Quarantine authority, if necessary, may dispatch personnel to inspect the sanitary conditions of the ship.
Article 11
A ship, prior to departing an international port, must obtain permission from the competent quarantine authority before proceeding with the exit and customs clearance formalities.
The competent quarantine authority may grant an entry permit and an exit permit to a ship at the same time, provided if the competent authority deems there is no cause for concern that the ship may transmit communicable diseases based on the content of the report mentioned in Article 9 herein.
Article 12
The quarantine authority when in possession of new evidence indicating that the ship may have the risk of transmitting communicable disease, may nullify their entry and exit permits.
Article 13
Inbound ships coming from foreign country (boundaries) with one of the following conditions must accept quarantine-inspection on board:
1. Within 30 days prior to arrival, there have been deaths, animal deaths of unknown reasons, or patients of communicable diseases;
2. Failing to apply for quarantine review in accordance with regulations or failing the quarantine review;
3. Rat guards not hung by regulation; improvement is not made after advice during anchoring at port;
4. Other matters requiring quarantine inspection.
Ships mentioned in the preceding Paragraph, if meeting one of the following conditions, may not be quarantine-inspected on board:
1. Since the previous departure from this port till the current arrival at this port, there have not had the same conditions as the various Subparagraphs of the preceding Paragraph indicate;
2. Before entry into the port, deaths on board have been verified by physician or forensic physician not due to communicable diseases or suspected communicable diseases.
During ships’ continuing domestic voyage within the country, if there are deaths, animal deaths of unknown causes, or patients with communicable diseases, and fears of disease transmission, the ships shall accept quarantine-inspection on board.
Article 14
Ships that are designated a place to accept the quarantine-inspection on board, under one of the following conditions, and upon permission of the quarantine authority in advance, may enter the port before accepting the quarantine-inspection on board:
1. Poor weather conditions, difficulty in boarding or other safety reasons;
2. Injured or sick persons on board that must be transported immediately for medical care;
3. Unable to anchor due to mechanical problems.
Article 15
Inbound aircraft arriving from foreign countries (boundaries), if upon this journey, death of person, deaths of animals of unknown reasons or patients of communicable diseases are detected, the person-in-charge shall immediately report the following to the quarantine authority:
1. Name of aircraft;
2. The last port of departure, date, time and expected date and time of arrival;
3. No. of crew and passengers;
4. No. of cases of communicable diseases or number of deaths, their names, symptoms, or other information associated with deaths;
5. Kinds of animals died of unknown reasons, their number and other relevant information.
Aircraft mentioned in the preceding Paragraph, if is feared of transmitting communicable diseases, should be quarantine-inspected on board.
Article 16
Conveyances accepting quarantine-inspection on board, shipmaster (pilot) and other relevant personnel shall cooperate on the following matters and shall not obstruct, evade or refuse:
1. Upon request of the quarantine authority, prior to entering the port, implement necessary sanitary measures on personnel on board and goods;
2. By the time, place and methods designated by the quarantine authority, accept quarantine-inspection on board;
3. When quarantine authority is performing quarantine-inspection on board, dispatch personnel to accompany the quarantine at the same time;
4. Truthfully answer questions relevant to quarantine.
Article 17
When there is fear that conveyances may transmit communicable diseases, the following matters shall be conducted following instructions of the quarantine authority:
1. Proceed to designated quarantine site or port that has been adequately managed later;
2. Conduct necessary and adequate disinfection, de-contamination, or vector control measures.
When the conveyances in the preceding Paragraph are ships, and for their facilities, capacities or other reasons, are unable to conduct measures of Sub-paragraph 2 of the preceding paragraphs, shipmaster must inform the quarantine authority in writing, together with Ship Sanitation Certificate to be stated by the quarantine authority, and immediately depart the port with a Q flag hung .
Article 18
When there is fear that conveyances may transmit communicable diseases, quarantine authority may perform isolation measures on the conveyances, personnel on board.
Conveyances in the preceding Paragraph, prior to the permission of the quarantine authority, the passengers and the goods they carry shall be placed under custody, nobody else and nothing else can be in contact with them: passengers that have been removed to isolation sites on land, shall be treated the same.
If the conveyances in the preceding Paragraph are ships, if they refuse to accept isolation measures, the shipmaster shall inform the quarantine authority in writing, hang Q-flag and depart the port immediately.
Chapter 3 Quarantine of Personnel
Article 19
Personnel entering or exiting the country (boundaries) shall follow the instruction of the quarantine authority, to perform the following items:
1. Provide relevant information for contact;
2. Provide history of traveling, history of contact and diseases, health documents, immunization certificates, reports and forms related to communicable diseases or other relevant information;
3. Accept medical examination;
4. Accept immunization or other preventive measures;
5. Accept collection of specimens for laboratory examinations, medical care or other disease control measures;
6. Other measures necessary for disease control and quarantine.
Quarantine authority, when performing the measures in the preceding Paragraph, must notify in writing; when placing foreigners under home quarantine, collective quarantine or isolation care, their respective institutes in Taiwan shall be informed.
Article 20
To prevent the spread internationally of communicable diseases, the central competent authority may take the following measures:
1. Provide services in immunization against yellow fever, Meningococcal meningitis, or other international immunization;
2. Provide medicines for the cure of malaria or other communicable diseases;
The services in the preceding Paragraph may be provided through entrust to relevant organizations or medical care institutes.
Article 21
Quarantine authority, when performing quarantine measures, shall, upon actual needs, provide to personnel accepting medical examination, quarantine, isolation or other measures, with necessary food, drinking water, clothes, living quarters, communication means, medical care services or other appropriate assistance.
Article 22
Passengers who have already accepted relevant quarantine measures upon entering country (boundaries), and have been accessed to have no direct hazards to public health, the quarantine authority may permit them to continue their international journey; when necessary, they may entrust the person-in-charge of the conveyances to inform the relevant unit of the next port that the said passengers plan to arrive.
Article 23
Representatives of travel agents, tour guides or group leaders, shall, upon request of the competent authorities at various levels collaborate in the following matters:
1. Implement all quarantine measures announced by competent authorities at various levels;
2. Distribute information materials related to quarantine;
3. Inform passengers of communicable disease conditions in the areas they are heading, and provide health education to them;
4. Take training related to communicable diseases in traveling;
5. Carefully arrange travel itinerary, food and beverage, accommodation, and prevent tourists from exposing to infected or contaminated environment;
6. Provide individual information of passengers including: name, members of identification or passport address, telephone or other channel of communication;
7. Inform names of passengers with suspected communicable diseases during tours or upon entry or exit and also names of other passengers;
8. Other measures related to quarantine and diseases control;
Article 24
Persons-in-charge of conveyances shall supervise their subordinates or related personnel to collaborate in implementing the following matters:
1. Keep conveyances free from sources of infection or contamination, including free from breeding of vectors and reservoirs;
2. Implement quarantine matters decided by competent authorities at various levels;
3. Distribute materials related to quarantine;
4. Health education;
5. Provide relevant information in coordination with the needs of competent authorities at various levels in disease investigation and control;
6. Report any crew members and/or mechanical crew who are staying behind , or passengers under medical care for suspected communicable diseases; or report of persons infected by suspected communicable diseases; after being accepted for medical care, and submit their diagnosis certificates of hospitals to quarantine authorities;
7. Other measures relevant to quarantine and disease control.
Persons-in-charge of relevant organizations managing, applying for, administering courteous reception or clearing of emergency or critically ill patients through, shall act in accordance with regulations of Sub-paragraph 2 through Sub-paragraph 7 of the preceding Paragraph; when deaths or patients of communicable diseases are detected, they shall immediately report to quarantine authorities.
Article 25
Competent authorities at various levels shall safe-keep the personal information collected by way of quarantine, shall not release without reasons, they shall be handled under encryption.
Competent authorities at various levels, with a view to assess and control the hazards of public health, may manage and use the personal information of the preceding Paragraph, it should be guaranteed that it is used for the purpose of quarantine.
Article 26
For the management of the entering and exiting (boundaries) of remains, death certificates or other certificates of reasons of death shall be presented to the quarantine unit for application of quarantine; for deaths due to communicable diseases, they shall be handled in accordance with the Communicable Diseases Control Act.
Ashes, bones may be enter, exit country (boundaries) without quarantine.
Chapter 4 Ship Sanitation
Article 27
Inbound ships from foreign country (boundaries), when applying for port entry by regulations of Article 10, the Maritime Declaration of Health attached shall be filled out and signed by the shipmaster; where there is a ship physician, it shall be endorsed by the ship physician.
Article 28
Inbound ships (boundaries) from foreign countries, when Ship Sanitation Certificates are attached by regulations of Subparagraph 3, Paragraph 1 of Article 10, shall be within their valid time and the ships shall be kept clean and safe.
Before the certificates in the preceding Paragraph are overdue of their validities, application to the quarantine authorities for issuance of new certificates shall be made. If, for reasons, the quarantine authorities cannot conduct inspection, they may extend the original certificates for a maximum period of one month. If the application period is overdue, and the quarantine authorities cannot conduct the inspection for some reasons, a release permission may be issued after the said ship present a statement in writing.
If there are changes in either the name or the nationality registered on the Ship Sanitation Certificate, application shall be made to the quarantine authorities for changes.
Article 29
If the ship has one of the following conditions, the shipmaster shall implement sanitation control measures such as disinfection, de-contamination or vector control. Submit a request for inspection to the quarantine authority when all sanitation control measures have been implemented.
1. Detected patients of communicable diseases or their remains;
2. Noticed through sanitary inspection poor environmental sanitation or breeding of vectors;
3. Discovered remains of animals that died of unknown reasons, posing threat of communicable disease transmission;
4. Ships that sail into dry shipyard or before dismantling and poses threat of communicable disease transmission;
5. Other matters that the quarantine authority considers necessary.
Ships, for reasons, cannot implement the sanitation control measures in the preceding Paragraph, the quarantine authority shall indicate on the Ship Sanitation Certificate the facts detected, the evidence, and necessary measures to be taken.
Article 30
Shipmaster, when implementing the sanitation control measures in the preceding Article, shall, if necessary by instructions of the quarantine authority empty ships or cabins. Before the work is complete, the ship cannot be moved or used, and unauthorized persons are not permitted to approach the ships.
Article 31
When the quarantine authority is conducting inspections under Paragraph 2 of Article 28 and Paragraph 1 of Article 29, the time required for inspections and the matters the ship shall collaborate shall be decided by the quarantine authority.
Ships that have been scheduled for inspection, if are unable to accept inspection in the scheduled time, the shipmaster shall inform the quarantine authority in advance; the quarantine authority may, judging the actual situations, adjust its inspection time.
Chapter 5 Sanitation of Ports
Article 32
All institutes (institutions) in port shall maintain the port areas sanitary and safe, they shall implement or coordinate in implementing relevant sanitary measures.
The respective competent authorities shall supervise the implementation of the matters regulated in the preceding Paragraph.
Article 33
Quarantine authorities, with a view to prevent communicable diseases from coming into, exiting out the country (boundaries), may in the port area or inside the conveyances, conduct vector surveys and sanitary control measures, relevant institutes (institutions), public and private enterprise institutions shall cooperate, and shall not obstruct, evade or refuse.
Article 34
Ships navigating in international seas, when anchoring at port, shall take effective vector control measures, and at the same time, hang rat-guards. However, for irresistible reasons that hanging is not possible, this regulation does not apply.
Chapter 6 Quarantine of Domestic Ports
Article 35
Domestic ports having one of the following conditions, quarantine by quarantine authority is necessary:
1.Inbound ships, with the carried personnel and cargos, reported to have persons infected with communicable diseases or suspected communicable diseases,
2. Considered necessary to quarantine conveyances, goods or personnel;
3. Other quarantine matters announced by the central competent authority.
Article 36
Quarantine matters that shall be conducted by the domestic port quarantine authorities are follows:
1. To supervise persons-in-charge of conveyances carrying patients of communicable diseases or their remains to conduct sanitary control measures such as disinfection, de-contamination, or vector control;
2. To conduct vector surveys and sanitary control measures in the port area;
3. To sample-check sanitary conditions and relevant documents and data of inbound conveyances from other country (boundaries), and if need be, conduct vector surveys and sanitary control measures;
4. Other quarantine matters announced by the central competent authority.
When conducting these matters in the preceding Paragraph, relevant institutes (institutions), public and private enterprises institutions shall collaborate, and shall not obstruct, evade or refuse.
Article 37
Persons-in-charge of ships and various institutes (institutions), public and private enterprises institutions of domestic ports, when detect deaths, animal deaths of unknown reasons, or patients of communicable diseases on inbound ships from other country (boundaries) to domestic ports, shall report to the quarantine authority immediately.
Matters that shall be reported by persons-in-charge of the preceding Paragraph, regulations of Paragraph 1 of Article 15 apply.
Chapter 7 Supplementary Provisions
Article 38
Quarantine officials on duty for performing quarantine shall wear uniforms or identification tags.
Article 39
Quarantine authorities may refer patients judged to be patients of communicable diseases to designated medical care institutions for diagnosis and treatment or isolation care.
Transportation fees, registration fees, consultation fees, and other care-related fees for the persons in the preceding Paragraph shall be paid by the competent authority.
Article 40
Quarantine authority may adopt alternative measure, in the condition of poor weather, difficulty in boarding on conveyance or for other safety reasons that make the performance of duty difficult.
Article 41
Passengers in transit and crew,, if one shows symptoms of suspected communicable diseases, and is further assessed that there are needs for diseases control and quarantine, regulations of Article 19 apply.
Article 42
This set of regulations shall be implemented on January 1, 2015.
The amended articles of these Regulations shall enter into force on the date of promulgation.