Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2023)

PART 11
MISCELLANEOUS

52.   General duty to comply with orders, instructions and conditions

1.  

   (1)   Subject to the provisions of these Regulations, the Quarantine Authority, the health officer and any authorised officer may give such orders and instructions and impose such conditions and take such action as they may consider desirable for the purposes of carrying these Regulations into effect.

1.  

   (2)   Every person to whom these Regulations apply shall comply with all such orders, instructions and conditions, and shall furnish all such information as the Quarantine Authority, health officer or authorised officer may reasonably require (including information as to his or her name, destination and address) and every person who has for the time being the custody or charge of a child or other person who is under disability shall comply with any orders, instructions or conditions so given, made or imposed and shall furnish all such information as aforesaid in respect of such child or other person.

53.   Certificates as to sanitary measures taken

1.  

   (1)   Whenever the master, the ship owner or his or her agent so demands, the health officer shall furnish him with a free certificate stating the sanitary measures which have been applied to the ship and specifying the reason why they have been applied.

1.  

   (2)   Passengers who have been subjected to sanitary measures shall be entitled to a free certificate from the health officer indicating the date of their arrival and the measures to which they and their baggage have been subjected.

SCHEDULE A TO THE REGULATIONS

Instructions

1.  

   The master of a ship coming from a port outside Saint Lucia must ascertain the state of health of all persons on board, and fill in and sign the Declaration of Health in the foregoing pages.

1.  

   The master should send an International Quarantine Message either direct to the visiting officer or through the agent. The message may be in “clear” or in “code” and must be sent within the time specified in the Code.

1.  

   The message must contain such of the items as are appropriate of the Standard Quarantine Messages (included in the Medical Section of the 1931 Intercolonial Code of Signals (pages 229 to 232 British edition)).

1.  

   If the ship is not fitted with wireless, the appropriate signal must be hoisted on arrival.

1.  

   The master should take all steps necessary to ensure that no persons other than a pilot and his or her leadsman shall board or leave the vessel without the permission of the health officer until pratique has been granted.

SCHEDULE B TO THE REGULATIONS

(Regulation 5)

  For notes on the sending of a Standard Quarantine Message see page 229 of the British edition of the 1931 International Code of Signals—ITEM OF INFORMATION

Item I

1.  

   The following is an International Quarantine Message from vessel indicated of port indicated which expects to arrive at time indicated on date indicated.

Item II

1.  

   My port of departure (first port of loading) and my last port of call were as indicated by the immediately following groups.

Item III

1.  

   No case of infectious disease, or of sickness suspected to be of an infectious nature has occurred on board during the last 15 days.

1.  

   Number indicated cases of infectious disease(s) indicated have occurred during the last 15 days.

Item IV

1.  

   I have no other case of sickness on board.

1.  

   I have number indicated other cases of sickness on board.

Item V

1.  

   No deaths from sickness infectious or otherwise have occurred on board during the voyage.

1.  

   Number indicated deaths from sickness infectious or otherwise have occurred on board during the voyage.

Item VI

1.  

   I have a ship's surgeon on board.

1.  

   I have no ship's surgeon on board.

Item VII

1.  

   I do not wish to disembark any sick.

1.  

   I wish to disembark number indicated sick, suffering from disease(s) indicated.

Item VIII

1.  

   My crew consists of number indicated, and I have no passengers on board.

1.  

   My crew consists of number indicated, and I have number indicated passengers.

Item IX

1.  

   I do not propose to disembark any passengers.

1.  

   I propose to disembark number indicated passengers of class indicated.

SCHEDULE C TO THE REGULATIONS

(Regulation 6)

USE OF FLAGS AND SIGNALS

1.  

   Ships must show one of the following signals when coming within the limits of a port and until free pratique is granted.

1.  

   By day (i.e., between sunrise and sunset)

   1.  

      (i)     “Q” signifying “my ship is healthy and I request free pratique”.

   1.  

      (ii)     “Q” flag over first substitute (QQ) signifying “my ship is suspect, that is to say, I have had a case or cases of infectious disease more than 5 days ago or there has been unusual mortality among rats on board”.

   1.  

      (iii)     “Q” flag over “L” flag (QL) signifying “my ship is infected, that is to say, I have had a case or cases of infectious disease less than 5 days ago”.

1.  

   The day signals shall be shown at the masthead or where it can best be seen.

1.  

   By night: Red light over white light, signifying, “I have not received free pratique”.

1.  

   The lights should be not more than 6 feet apart and in a vertical line one over the other.

1.  

   The night signal shall be shown at the peak or other conspicuous place where it can best be seen.

SCHEDULE D TO THE REGULATIONS

(Regulations 2, 26, 27 and 28)

APPENDIX

(See definition of Convention Regulation 2)

EXTRACTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SANITARY CONVENTION
SIGNED AT PARIS ON 21 JUNE 1926

Article 18

1.  

   It rests with the authority of the country of destination to decide in what manner and at what place disinfection shall be carried out and what methods shall be adopted to secure the destruction of rats or insects (fleas, lice, mosquitoes, etc.). These operations shall be performed in such a manner as to injure articles as little as possible. Clothes and other articles of small value, including rags not carried as merchandise in bulk, may be destroyed by fire.

1.  

   It is the duty of each State to settle questions relative to the payment of compensation for any damage caused by disinfection, deratisation and disinsectisation, or by the destruction of the articles referred to above.

1.  

   If, on account of these measures, charges are levied by the sanitary authority, either directly or indirectly through a company or an individual, the rates of these charges shall be in accordance with a tariff published in advance and so drawn up that the State or the sanitary authority may not, on the whole, derive any profit from its application.

SECTION IV.
MEASURES AT PORTS AND MARINE FRONTIERS

(A)   PLAGUE

Article 24

Infected Ship. A ship shall be regarded as infected—

1.  

   (1)   If it has a case of human plague on board;

1.  

   (2)   Or if a case of human plague broke out more than 6 days after embarkation;

1.  

   (3)   Or if plague infected rats are found on board.

Suspected Ship. A ship shall be regarded as “suspected”—

1.  

   (1)   If a case of human plague broke out on board in the first 6 days after embarkation;

1.  

   (2)   Or if investigations regarding rats have shown the existence of an unusual mortality without determining the cause thereof.

1.  

   The ship shall continue to be regarded as suspected until it has been subjected to the measures prescribed by this Convention at a suitably equipped port.

Healthy Ship. A ship shall be regarded as “healthy” notwithstanding its having come from an infected port, if there has been no human or rat plague on board either at the time of departure, or during the voyage, or on arrival, and the investigations regarding rats have not shown the existence of an unusual mortality.

Article 25

Plague-infected ships shall undergo the following measures—

1.  

   (1)   Medical inspection;

1.  

   (2)   The sick shall immediately be disembarked and isolated;

1.  

   (3)   All persons who have been in contact with the sick and those whom the port sanitary authority have reason to consider suspect shall be disembarked if possible. They may be subjected to observation or surveillance,  Persons under observation or surveillance shall give facilities for all clinical or bacteriological investigations which are considered necessary by the sanitary authority or to observation followed by surveillance, provided that the total duration of these measures does not exceed 6 days from the time of arrival of the ship. It rests with the sanitary authority of the port after taking into consideration the date of the last case, the condition of the ship and the local possibilities, to apply that one of these measures which seems to them preferable. During the same period the crew may be prevented from leaving the ship except on duty notified to the sanitary authority;

1.  

   (4)   Bedding which has been used, soiled linen, wearing apparel and other articles which, in the opinion of the sanitary authority, are infected shall be disinsected and, if necessary, disinfected;

1.  

   (5)   The parts of the ship which have been occupied by persons suffering from plague or which, in the opinion of the sanitary authority, are infected shall be disinsected and, if necessary, disinfected;

1.  

   (6)   The sanitary authority may require deratisation before the discharge of the cargo, if they are of the opinion, having regard to the nature of the cargo and the way in which it is loaded, that it is possible to effect a total destruction of rats before discharge. In this case the ship may not be subjected to a new deratisation after discharge. In other cases the complete destruction of the rodents shall be effected on board when the holds are empty. In the case of ships in ballast, this process shall be carried out as soon as possible before taking cargo.

1.  

   Deratisation shall be carried out so as to avoid, as far as possible, damage to the ship and cargo (if any). The operation must not last longer than 24 hours. Any charges made in respect of these operations of deratisation and any question of compensation for damage shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Article 18.

1.  

   If a ship is to discharge a part of its cargo only, and if the port authorities consider that it is impossible to carry out complete deratisation, the said ship may remain in the port for the time required to discharge that part of its cargo, provided that all precautions, including isolation, are taken to the satisfaction of the sanitary authority to prevent rats from passing from the ship to the shore, either during unloading or otherwise.

1.  

   The discharge of cargo shall be carried out under the control of the sanitary authority, who shall take all measures necessary to prevent the staff employed on this duty from becoming infected. This staff shall be subjected to observation or to surveillance for a period not exceeding 6 days from the time when they have ceased to work at the unloading of the ship.

Article 26

Plague-suspected ships shall undergo the measures specified in (1), (4), (5) and (6) of Article 25.

In addition, the crew and passengers may be subjected to surveillance, which shall not exceed 6 days reckoned from the date of arrival of the ship. The crew may be prevented during the same period from leaving the ship except on duty notified to the Sanitary Authority.

Article 27

Healthy Ships.—Ships free from plague shall be given free pratique immediately, with the reservation that the sanitary authority of the port of arrival may prescribe the following measures with regard to them—

1.  

   (1)   Medical inspection to determine whether the ship comes within the definition of a healthy ship;

1.  

   (2)   Destruction of rats on board under the conditions specified in (6) of Article 25, in exceptional cases and for well-founded reasons, which shall be communicated in writing to the captain of the ship;

1.  

   (3)   The crew and passengers may be subjected to surveillance during a period which shall not exceed 6 days reckoned from the date on which the, ship left the infected port. The crew may be prevented during the same period from leaving the ship except on duty notified to the Sanitary Authority.

Article 28

All ships, except those employed in national coastal service, shall be periodically deratised, or be permanently so maintained that any rat population is kept down to the minimum. In the first case they shall receive Deratisation Certificates, and in the second Deratisation Exemption Certificates.

Governments shall make known through the Office International d'Hygiene Publique those of their ports possessing the equipment and personnel necessary for the deratisation of ships.

A Deratisation Certificate or a Deratisation Exemption Certificate shall be issued only by the sanitary authorities of ports specified above. Every such certificate shall be valid for 6 months, but this period may be extended by one month in the case of a ship proceeding to its home port.

If no valid certificate is produced, the sanitary authority at the ports mentioned in the second paragraph of this Article may after inquiry and inspection—

1.  

   (a)     Themselves carry out deratisation of the vessel, or cause such operations to be carried out under their direction and control. On the completion of these operations to their satisfaction they shall issue a dated Deratisation Certificate. They shall decide in each case the technique which should be employed to secure the practical extermination of rats on board, but details of the deratising process applied and of the number of rats destroyed shall be entered on the certificate. Destruction of rats shall be carried out so as to avoid as far as possible damage to the ship and cargo (if any). The operation must not last longer than 24 hours. In the case of ships in ballast the process shall be carried out before taking cargo. Any charges made in respect of these operations of deratisation, and any question of compensation for damage, shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Article 18.

1.  

   (b)     Issue a dated Deratisation Exemption Certificate if they are satisfied that the ship is maintained in such a condition that the rat population is reduced to a minimum. The reasons justifying the issue of such a certificate shall be set out in the certificate.

Deratisation and deratisation exemption certificates shall be drawn up as far as possible in a uniform manner. Model certificates shall be prepared by the Office International d'Hygiene Publique.

Article 29

Infected Ship,—A ship shall be regarded as infected if there is a case of cholera on board, or if there has been a case of cholera during the 5 days previous to the arrival of the ship in port.

Suspected Ship.—A ship shall be regarded as suspected if there has been a case of cholera at the time of departure or during the voyage, but no fresh case in the 5 days previous to arrival. The ship shall continue to be regarded as suspected until it has been subjected to the measures prescribed by this Convention.

Healthy Ship.—A ship shall be considered “healthy” if, although arriving from an infected port or having on board persons proceeding from an infected local area, there has been no case of cholera either at the time of departure, during the voyage, or on arrival.

Cases presenting the clinical symptoms of cholera, in which no cholera vibrios have been found or in which vibrios not strictly conforming to the character of cholera vibrios have been found shall be subject to all measures required in the case of cholera.

Germ carriers discovered on the arrival of a ship shall be submitted after disembarkation to all the obligations which may be imposed in such a case by the laws of the country of arrival on its own nationals.

Article 30

Cholera Infected Ships.—In the case of cholera, “infected” ships shall undergo the following measures—

1.  

   (1)   Medical inspection;

1.  

   (2)   The sick shall be immediately disembarked and isolated;

1.  

   (3)   The crew and passengers may be disembarked and either be kept under observation or subjected to surveillance during a period not exceeding 5 days reckoned from the date of arrival of the ship;

1.  

   However, persons who can show that they have been protected against cholera by vaccination effected within the period of the previous 6 months, excluding the last 6 days thereof, may be subjected to surveillance, but not to observation;

1.  

   (4)   Bedding which has been used, soiled linen, wearing apparel and other articles, including foodstuffs, which in the opinion of the sanitary authority of the port, have been recently contaminated shall be disinfected;

1.  

   (5)   The parts of the ship that have been occupied by persons infected with cholera or that the sanitary authority regard as infected shall be disinfected;

1.  

   (6)   Unloading shall be carried out under the supervision of the sanitary authority, which shall take all measures necessary to prevent the infection of the staff engaged in unloading. This staff shall be subjected to observation or to surveillance which may not exceed 5 days from the time when they ceased unloading;

1.  

   (7)   When the drinking water stored on board is suspected it shall be emptied out after disinfection and replaced, after disinfection of the tanks, by a supply of wholesome drinking water;

1.  

   (8)   The sanitary authority may prohibit the emptying of water ballast in port without previous disinfection if it has been taken in at an infected port;

1.  

   (9)   The emptying or discharge of human dejecta, as well as the waste waters of the ship, into the waters of the port may be forbidden, unless they have been previously disinfected.

Article 31

Cholera Suspected Ships. In the case of cholera, “suspected” ships shall undergo the measures prescribed in (1), (4), (5), (7), (8) and (9) of Article 30.

The crew and passengers may be subjected to surveillance during a period which shall not exceed 5 days reckoned from the date of arrival of the ship. It is recommended that the crew be prevented during the same period from leaving the ship except on duty notified to the sanitary authority.

Article 32

Clinical Cholera. If the ship has been declared infected or suspected on account only of a case on board presenting the clinical features of cholera, and 2 bacteriological examinations, made with an interval of not less than 24 hours between them, have not revealed the presence of cholera or other suspicious vibrios, the ship shall be considered healthy.

Article 33

Healthy Ships. In the case of cholera, “healthy” ships shall be given pratique immediately.

The sanitary authority of the port of arrival may prescribe as regards these ships the measures specified in (1), (7), (8) and (9) of Article 30.

The crew and passengers may be subjected to surveillance during a period which shall not exceed 5 days reckoned from the date of arrival of the ship. The crew may be prevented during the same period from leaving the ship except on duty notified to the sanitary authority.

Article 34

Since anti-cholera vaccination is a method of proved efficacy in staying cholera epidemics, and consequently in lessening the likelihood of the spread of the disease, sanitary administrations are recommended to employ in the largest measure possible and as often as practicable, specific vaccination in cholera foyers and to grant certain advantages as regards restrictive measures to persons who have elected to be vaccinated.

(C)   Yellow Fever

Article 35

Infected Ship. A ship shall be regarded as infected if there is a case of yellow fever on board, or if there was one at the time of departure or during the voyage.

Suspected Ship. A ship shall be regarded as suspected if, having had no case of yellow fever, it arrives after a voyage of less than 6 days from an infected port or from a port in close relation with an endemic centre of yellow fever, or it arrives after a voyage of more than 6 days and there is reason to believe that it may transport adult stegomyia (œdes egypti) emanating from the said port.

Healthy Ship. Ship shall be regarded as “healthy”, notwithstanding its having come from an infected port, if on arriving after a voyage of more than 6 days it has had no case of yellow fever on board and either there is no reason to believe that it transports adult stegomyia or it is proved to the satisfaction of the authority of the port of arrival—

1.  

   (a)     That the ship, during its stay in the port of departure, was moored at a distance of at least 200 metres from the inhabited shore and at such a distance from harbour vessels (pontoons) as to make the access of stegomyia improbable;

1.  

   (b)     Or that the ship, at the time of departure, was effectively fumigated in order to destroy mosquitoes.

Article 36

Yellow Fever Infected Ships. Ships infected with yellow fever shall undergo the following measures—

1.  

   (1)   Medical inspection;

1.  

   (2)   The sick shall be disembarked, and those of them whose illness has not lasted more than 5 days shall be isolated in such a manner as to prevent infection of mosquitoes;

1.  

   (3)   The other persons who disembark shall be kept under observation or surveillance during a period which shall not exceed 6 days reckoned from the time of disembarkation;

1.  

   (4)   The ship shall be moored at least 200 metres from the inhabited shore and at such a distance from the harbour boats (pontoons) as will render the access of stegomyia improbable;

1.  

   (5)   The destruction of mosquitoes in all phases of growth shall be carried out on board, as far as possible before discharge of cargo. If discharge is carried out before the destruction of mosquitoes, the personnel employed shall be subjected to observation or to surveillance for a period not exceeding 6 days from the time when they ceased unloading.

Article 37

Yellow Fever Suspected Ships. Ships suspected of yellow fever may be subjected to the measures specified in (1), (3), (4) and (5) of Article 36.

Nevertheless, if the voyage has lasted less than 6 days and if the ship fulfills the conditions specified in paragraphs (a) or (b) of Article 35 relating to healthy ships, the ship shall be subjected only to the measures prescribed in Article 36, (1) and (3) and to fumigation.

When 30 days have been completed after the departure of the ship from the infected port, and no case has occurred during the voyage, the ship may be granted free pratique subject to preliminary fumigation should the sanitary authority consider this to be necessary.

Article 38

Healthy Ships. Healthy ships shall be granted free pratique after medical inspection.

Article 39

The measures prescribed in Articles 36 and 37 concern only those regions in which stegomyia exist, and they shall be applied with due regard to the climatic conditions prevailing in such regions and to the stegomyia index.

In other regions they shall be applied to the extent considered necessary by the sanitary authority.

Article 40

The masters of ships which have touched at ports infected with yellow fever are specially advised to cause a search to be made for mosquitoes and their larvæ during the voyage and to secure their systematic destruction in all accessible parts of the ship, particularly in the store rooms, galleys, boiler rooms, water tanks and other places specially likely to harbour stegomyia.

(D)   Typhus

Article 41

Ships which, during the voyage have had, or at the time of their arrival, have, a case of typhus on board, may be subjected to the following measures—

1.  

   (1)   Medical inspection;

1.  

   (2)   The sick shall immediately be disembarked, isolated and deloused;

1.  

   (3)   Other persons reasonably suspected to harbour lice, or to have been exposed to infection, shall also be deloused, and may be subjected to surveillance during a period which shall be specified, but which in any event should never exceed 12 days, reckoned from the date of delousing;

1.  

   (4)   Bedding which has been used, linen, wearing apparel and other articles which the sanitary authority consider to be infected shall be disinsected;

1.  

   (5)   The parts of the ship which have been occupied by persons ill with typhus and which the sanitary authority regard as infected shall be disinsected.

The ship shall immediately be given free pratique.

It rests with each Government to take, after disembarkation, the measures which they consider appropriate to ensure the surveillance of persons who arrive on a ship which has had no case of typhus on board, but who have left a local area where typhus is epidemic within the previous 12 days.

(E)   Smallpox

Article 42

Ships which have had, or have a case of smallpox on board either during the voyage or at the time of arrival may be subjected to the following measures—

1.  

   (1)   Medical inspection;

1.  

   (2)   The sick shall immediately be disembarked and isolated;

1.  

   (3)   Other persons reasonably suspected to have been exposed to infection on board, and who, in the opinion of the sanitary authority are not sufficiently protected by recent vaccination, or by a previous attack of smallpox, may be subjected to vaccination or to surveillance, or to vaccination followed by surveillance, the period of surveillance being specified according to the circumstances, but in any event not exceeding 14 days, reckoned from the date of arrival of the ship;

1.  

   (4)   Bedding which has been used, soiled linen, wearing apparel and other articles which the sanitary authority consider to have been recently infected shall be disinfected;

1.  

   (5)   Only the parts of the ship which have been occupied by persons ill with smallpox and which the sanitary authority regard as infected shall be disinfected.

The ship shall immediately be given free pratique.

It rests with each Government to take, after disembarkation, the measures which they consider appropriate to ensure the surveillance of persons who are not protected by vaccination, and who arrive on a ship which has had no case of smallpox on board, but who have left a local area, where smallpox is epidemic within the previous 14 days.