Original document.
The President of U.S.A. issued Executive Order (13998), Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel that requires masks be worn on all “public maritime vessels, including ferries” to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued order, Requirement forPersons to Wear Masks while on Transportation Hubs, 29JAN2021, requires all persons travelling on all commercial vessels to wear a mask.
This Order requires vessel operators to use best efforts to ensure that any person on the vessel wears a mask when boarding, disembarking, and for the duration of travel. Depending on the circumstances, best efforts may include:
- Boarding only those persons who wear masks;
- Instructing persons that Federal law requires wearing a mask on the vessel and failure to comply constitutes a violation of Federal law;
- Monitoring persons on board the ship for anyone who is not wearing a mask and seeking compliance from such persons;
- At the earliest opportunity, disembarking any person who refuses to comply;
- Providing persons with prominent and adequate notice to facilitate awareness and compliance of the requirement of this Order to wear a mask.*
*Best practices may include, if feasible, advanced notifications
on digital platforms, such as on apps, websites, or email; posted signage in multiple languages with
illustrations; printing the requirement on transit tickets; or other methods as appropriate.
