Jonathan Kellerman, NSRI Durban station commander, said: At 10h15, Sunday, 03 May, NSRI Durban duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Alick Rennie to transport a ShipsMed doctor to a bulk carrier motor vessel at outer anchorage off-shore of the Port of Durban.
Port Health Authorities had arranged for the doctor to take sample swabs from a crewman onboard the ship, which is due to enter Port, for Covid-19 laboratory testing prior to the ship being granted permission to enter Port.
Observing all Covid-19 Department of Health and Port Health Authority safety regulations and protocols on arrival at the ship the doctor was transferred onto the ship and sample swabs were collected from the crewman.
The doctor returned to the sea rescue craft accompanied by the samples that he had collected and he was brought into Durban Port without incident.
Port Health Authorities will evaluate the samples to determine safe passage for the ship to enter Port.
The operation completed at 11h40.
