The Port Authority of Civitavecchia in conjunction with ASL Roma 4, has announced that it is inviting all ships calling in the port of Civitavecchia to register their crew members to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The invitation was issued last week through the local agencies. According to the press release, it marks a “watershed moment and a collective achievement for the port in its drive to facilitate the return to pre-pandemic operational levels.”

“We have worked hard to create the best possible conditions for the restart of the cruise operations in our ports and we managed to do so already back in January 2021, in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic. But hosting several vessels in port that were “stuck” here due to COVID-19 also implied that we had to take full care of the crew members and seafarers,” said Port Authority President, Pino Musolino.

“We have therefore worked equally hard, with the other public authorities and the terminal operator, to grant the right to receive a vaccination in port for all crew members, no matter what nationality they held. It has been tough work but eventually, the result came and we are proud to say we are starting with the vaccinations soon. We welcome the ships when they are sailing and in operation and we are welcoming, even more, with open arms the women and men that are operating them, this time providing vital support in this crucial difficult period,” he added.

John Portelli who serves as the general manager of Roma Cruise Terminal, the terminal operator in the port of Civitavecchia, said that this step was another “first” for his port.

“Civitavecchia was one of the first cruise ports to welcome transit and turnaround calls following the restart in operations. We are now sharing our restart experience, as we did with our operations procedures, with other terminal operators some of whom have also visited Civitavecchia,” he said.

“During the stop, our port had up to 14 cruise ships laid up in the port. During the past year and a half, Roma Cruise Terminal decided not to apply its lay-up fees for ships laid-up on its quays. The assistance provided to these ships starting with the agencies, the local authorities and nautical and marine services was second to none and is demonstrative of the bond binding the various stakeholders with the cruise ships calling Civitavecchia. It is also significant that the port authority and ASL Roma 4 opted to open the port vaccine hub in the week celebrating Seafarers Da 2021,” he added.

The General Manager of the Asl Roma 4, Cristina Matranga, said that Asl Roma 4 was “proud” to share this initiative.

“(T)he crew members vaccination will provide higher safety conditions for the workers, passengers and cities that will host the disembarking,” she noted.