COVID-19 Vaccinations and Quarantine Period for Offshore Personnel

15 July 2021

Will I be required to get vaccinated for work? 

Agreeing to be vaccinated or not will always remain an individual choice, however at Atlas Professionals, we want to be open and straightforward about the impact of (not) being vaccinated.  

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our number one aim has been to protect the health and safety of all professionals. Pre-tour mobilization and on the job protocols have been developed and continuously updated based on WHO guidelines and local government regulations and specific client policies.

Governments, regulatory authorities and clients are developing and issuing updated guidance for fully-vaccinated individuals easing both travel restrictions and the heightened precautions previously being taken. As such, Atlas has received notices from an increasing number of clients informing us that paid quarantine will begin to be phased out towards the end of 2021.   

Unpaid quarantine  

Over the past year, most of Atlas’ clients and operators / developers have elected to pay negotiated quarantine rates to contract personnel for time spent in hotel quarantine. Additionally, clients also have borne the full cost and logistical burden of hotel quarantine and testing. This will not continue with the rapid availability of vaccinations. As we see a rapidly increasing availability of vaccinations, in certain locations we are seeing that this situation is changing. Whilst we appreciate pre-mobilisaton requirements may differ per client, in general, it can be expected that:

1. Fully vaccinated personnel travelling to sites in certain locations may not be required to undergo any hotel quarantine, but instead will require a negative PCR test prior to site mobilization. Clients may administer the PCR test at the (heli)port prior to mobilization and will cover the cost of this PCR testing or it will be expected that a negative test is presented prior to leaving your home location. Please be advised that many countries require a 14-day period between the last vaccination dose before one can travel without restriction. This is a trend that is being experienced increasingly, and is expected to form part of the “new norm” for the majority of locations in the near future.
2. For non-vaccinated personnel travelling to sites it may still be required to complete a pre-determined quarantine period. As with the above point, due to the increasing availability of vaccines, in some locations this quarantine period is now unpaid or will become so in the near future.  

Upon discussing any assignment with Atlas Professionals, our team will be able to confirm the COVID protocol and any quarantine requirements with you as necessary. 

Vaccination 

In addition, some clients intend to issue a revision to its procedures in the next few months requiring that personnel being deployed offshore must be vaccinated for COVID-19. This requirement will be incorporated into their agreements via the Safety, Health, and Environmental Requirements of the country as to which they are working.

Atlas Professionals does not mandate (require) vaccinations. Atlas professionals believe that being vaccinated is a free choice for every individual to make. We do urge you to take into consideration the above points, in combination with the global experience to date showing vaccines to be highly effective in significantly reducing both the risk of infection and disease severity. 

Approved vaccines 

As of 3 June 2021, WHO has evaluated that the following vaccines against COVID-19 have met the necessary criteria for safety and (efficacy) effectivity:

• AstraZeneca/Oxford 
• Johnson and Johnson 
• Moderna 
• Pfizer/BionTech 
• Sinopharm 
• Sinovac 

If you have not already been vaccinated against COVID-19 and you wish to do so you can visit your local governmental website to find out where vaccines are available in your community or contact your local health department for more information.