Nelson Marina has taken steps to protect the safety of boat users and the local community by closing to boats from overseas amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Vessels arriving at the Marina have access to shore side toilets, a laundry and a visitor room, all of which are available to staff members and domestic users of the marina. This means that overseas crew are unable to safely self-isolate, as required under new directions from Central Government.

Ships arriving into Nelson from overseas will instead have to house themselves at Nelson’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Quarantine Dock. This dock is used for biosecurity measures and does allow crew members to safely self-isolate.

Community Services Group Manager Roger Ball says the precautions are sensible given the current Covid-19 situation.

“Central government has banned cruise ships for 30 days, and introduced new self-isolation rules that mean anyone entering the country needs to self-isolate for 14 days. There are exceptions for cargo ships, but these restrictions apply to tourists arriving by boat as much as they apply to those arriving by air.”

“These steps are necessary to protect the Nelson community from a potential coronavirus outbreak.”

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