Singapore Observes Day Of The Seafarer

This year’s Day of the Seafarer, which falls on June 25, was particularly meaningful in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, paying tribute to seafarers became all the more important, as they contributed heavily towards maintaining the flow of goods.

To safeguard their health, as well as that of the wider shipping community and general public in Singapore, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has been facilitating crew change requests for seafarers in a controlled and regulated environment by setting up a ‘safe corridor’. From March 27–June 25 (Day of the Seafarer), MPA had approved more than 13,000 cases of crew sign ons and sign-offs, involving some 650 companies and 1,150 ships. MPA also continues to facilitate requests from vessels requiring medical care for seafarers. Since the pandemic struck, MPA has to date facilitated some 100 cases of seafarers requiring medical attention ashore.