The Public Health (Ships) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

PART IV N.I. OUTGOING SHIPS

Examination, etc, of persons proposing to embark N.I.

31.—(1) Where a ship is due to depart for a destination, whether final or intermediate, outside the United Kingdom, the medical officer —

(a) may examine any person who proposes to embark on the ship if he has reasonable grounds for believing him to be suffering from plague, cholera, yellow fever, smallpox or viral haemorrhagic fever, and —

(i) if after examination the medical officer is of the opinion that the person shows symptoms of one of these diseases, the medical officer shall prohibit the embarkation of the person;

(ii) and the time and place of an examination shall be arranged to take into account any other formalities; and to avoid delay; and

(b) shall prohibit any suspected person from embarking thereon:

• Provided that in the case of smallpox a person shall not be prohibited from embarking if he satisfies the medical officer that he is sufficiently protected by vaccination or by previously having had smallpox;

  (c)

  shall notify by the most expeditious means the master and the competent authority for the place to which the person is proceeding of any person embarking or proposing to continue his voyage thereon who, in the opinion of the medical officer, should be placed under surveillance;

  (d)

  notwithstanding the provisions of sub-paragraph (b), may allow a person on an international voyage who, on arrival, was placed under surveillance to continue his voyage.

(2) The medical officer shall notify by the most expeditious means the competent authority for the place to which the person is proceeding that such a person should, in the opinion of the medical officer, be placed under surveillance.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 31 in operation at 21.8.2008, see reg. 1

Infected places in Northern Ireland N.I.

32.  Where the Department has by notice published in the Belfast Gazette, declared any place to be infected with a disease which in its opinion constitutes a menace to other countries by reason of its spread or potential spread, then, until the notice is revoked by a subsequent notice published in the Belfast Gazette, every medical officer shall comply with any requirement which may be made by the Department for preventing the spread of the disease, and in particular (but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision) the following provisions of this regulation shall operate in relation to any ship departing from any Board area specified by the Department for a destination, whether final or intermediate, outside the United Kingdom:—

(a) an authorised officer, if so required by the Department, shall require a valid vaccination certificate from departing travellers. In the absence of such a certificate the medical officer may offer vaccination to any such traveller and give notification in accordance with regulation 31(1);

(b) the medical officer may, and within three hours after receiving a request from the master so to do shall, medically examine any person who proposes to embark on or is on board the ship;

(c) the authorised officer may require any part of the ship which in his opinion may be infected to be cleansed and disinfected to his satisfaction;

(d) an authorised officer shall inspect any clothing, bedding or other article which is on, or is intended to be taken by any person on the ship and which, in the opinion of the officer, may have been exposed to infection and may require the disinfection or destruction of any such clothing, bedding or article, and the master shall disclose to the authorised officer any relevant circumstances;

(e) a person shall not take or cause to be taken on board the ship any article which, in the opinion of an authorised officer, is capable of carrying infection: unless that officer is satisfied that it has been efficiently disinfected and, where necessary, disinsected;

(f) if any part of a Board area is included in such notice in the Belfast Gazette and is therein declared to be infected with plague, and if there is reason to believe that there are rodents on the ship, the authorised officer may, and if so required by the Department shall, take steps to secure the deratting of the ship.

Commencement Information

I2 Reg. 32 in operation at 21.8.2008, see reg. 1