Protocols for Sea & Water Activities and Cruises

Safe environment, preventive measures, and social distancing

General controls:

• All employees must wear medical or cloth masks or anything that covers the mouth and at all times, including at the reception and accounting area.
• Encourage employees who are among those at higher risk of infection as per Appendix A to work remotely from home.
• Customers and athletes must wear medical or cloth masks or anything that covers the mouth and at all times at all times.
• Must adhere to routinely disinfect environmental surfaces on a daily basis, while focusing on the areas where contact is more likely especially during working hours, such as the reception area,  pilot cabin for yachts and ships, seats, and waiting areas, as well as door handles, dining tables, seat cushions, elevator keys, etc., after each use.
• All places and surfaces should be cleaned with soap and water before disinfecting them. For disinfection, use disinfectants like sodium hypochlorite and follow the instructions in the Practical Guide for Cleaning and Disinfection of Public Facilities to Fight Covid-19 Infection issued by the SCDC.
• Ensure that the restrooms and toilets are cleaned and disinfected everyday with SFDA approved disinfectants.
• A record of the times of cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and restrooms should be maintained.
• Hand sanitizers should be distributed and placed in prominent places at gathering areas and corridors so that they are easily accessible by all visitors.
• Ensure good ventilation in all places.
• Change or clean the air filters for ventilation devices, especially air conditioners, periodically.
• The restaurants at the sea & water activities facilities and cruises must apply all procedures and guidelines of the restaurant protocols.
• The sea & water activities facilities and cruises must apply all the procedures and guidelines of mosque protocols regarding the application of health requirements for the areas designated for prayer.
• Floor stickers or clear signs must be placed to ensure the application of social distancing (for a distance of not less than 1.5 to 2 meters) in the reception and cashier areas.
• Disable all interactive touch screens or self-service indicative screens, if any.
• Remove all hard copies of magazines and newspapers.
• The reservation and booking system of sea & water activities and cruises must be activated through websites, phone or any other means to ensure that customers do not crowd and to make them aware in advance of the nature of the disease, its way of transmission and methods of prevention.

Yacht Cruises and Large and Small Ships:

• With regard to small ships or small yachts, it is preferable that the customers be from one family or friends, and the ship must be disinfected after each use while reducing the carrying capacity by half or in a way that ensures the application of social distancing between individuals and the crew of the ship.
• It is preferable to delay the return of cruises in large ships that include parties and events to a later stage after the pandemic recedes, due to the overcrowding and difficulty in controlling the movement of tourists and the application of health requirements among them.
• After the return of cruises in large ships when the pandemic recedes, it is allowed to work them at full capacity while maintaining the guarantee of social distancing and reducing crowding, similar to hotels, as they are considered floating hotels, taking into account full compliance with the protocols of tourist accommodation facilities and the presence of a dedicated isolation room for suspected cases of Covid-19, as well as full compliance in all parts of the ship with the preventive protocols set for similar activities on land (restaurants, cinemas, entertainment halls, sea & water sports, etc.).
• Cruises that provide meals must apply the restaurant protocols with regard to social distancing, number of tables open and other health requirements.
• Cruises that ae designated for events and parties must apply all procedures of social protocols regarding the application of health requirements for wedding and event halls.
• For sea & water sport activities such as diving, swimming, jet skis and etc., athletes must use their personal equipment such as diving and swimming gear, and not use tools provided by a third-party or the organize.
• The use of jet skis and such should be restricted to one person only, and the participation of more than one person must be prevented, and they must be disinfected after each use.
• Beach swimming is permitted provided social distancing is applied.
• With regard to sports competitions for swimming: please refer to the protocols of Sports Training and Gym and Sports Center.

Monitoring and Reporting:

• A checkpoint must be situated at all entrances which includes measuring the temperature with a device approved by the SFDA and asking about high temperature or any respiratory symptoms (cough or shortness of breath).
• All workers and customers must disclose if they have any respiratory symptoms or fever.
• Report any case that has a high temperature or respiratory symptoms and is suspected of being infected with Covid-19, identify their information and contact numbers and immediately call 937 to see the required directions to transfer the case to the hospital.
• If a confirmed case is registered among workers, the protocols approved by Weqaya Center and the MOH must be applied.
• In the event that there is housing for workers, it is preferable to prepare an isolation room for the suspected cases in their residence so that they are isolated until contacted by the competent authorities. (Please see the health conditions for workers’ housing to fight Covid-19).

Awareness and Communication:

• Awareness posters should be distributed in all entrances as well as when purchasing tickets, and placed in prominent places, and it is preferable that they be written in different languages ​​and include the following:

• Introduction to the disease, how it spreads and the preventative measures to be taken.
• Awareness of handwashing, avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth before washing hands, and encourage attention to personal hygiene and health care
• Adherence to Hygiene and Cough etiquette (by using tissues and throwing them away immediately or coughing into the elbow and washing hands afterwards).
• Spread awareness of using alcohol-based hand sanitizers in a correct manner among workers and customers.

Implementation:

• It is preferable to place a board containing a statement of the violations and how to report it.
• It is preferable to establish communication channels to report any breach of requirements and report violations in order to work to avoid them, and one of the employees to responsible for it.
• Train officials at checkpoints on the method of test performing and the use of thermometers.
• Assign supervisors responsible for ensuring the implementation of the health requirements.
• Conduct mandatory health and safety trainings on Covid-19 for all employees.

Appendix A: Individuals who are at Higher Risk of Infection

The health controls for suspending attendance at workplaces during the Covid-19 pandemic shall be attached to the medical reports of the below Health Conditions:

• Those over the age of 65 years
• Chronic lung disease, or severe asthma:

For those who have been admitted to the hospital at least once in the past six months.

• Chronic heart diseases:

– Heart muscle failure.

– Coronary artery disease with at least having one heart attack during the past year.

• Inherited Immunodeficiency diseases
• Acquired Immunodeficiency:

1. Acquired immunodeficiency disease

2. Use of immunosuppressive drugs.

3. Use of cancer treatment drugs.

• Obesity:

BMI 40>kg/m2

• Chronic medical conditions:

4. Uncontrolled diabetes, which necessitated admission to the hospital at least once during the past six months

5. High blood pressure disease, which required admission to the hospital at least once during the past six months

6. Kidney failure (dialysis)

7. Cirrhosis.