An Agency of the European Union

Your safety is our mission.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions recommended in Europe

Your health safety is our mission

CAPSCA EUR Webinar28.04.2021

Dr. Med. Cristian Panait -EASA Medical Expert

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Guidelines development

Participation in specialised bodies• ICAO CAPSCA• MEG

Crisis planning and management• EACCC• EC response to PHEs• EU Healthy Gateways

Institutional relations• EASA visit to DG SANTE• DG SANTE visit to MAB• Health Security Committee• Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR)

Guidelines development• ECDC• ICAO EUR/NAT• MAB & SAB• MEG

Publication• Promotion• Liaison• Monitoring

Article 91 – “EASA shall, within its field of competence, contribute to a timely response to and mitigation of aviation crises, in coordination, with other appropriate stakeholders”

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Purpose

Need to ensure safe and secure operations and restore public confidence

Need to ensure a harmonised EU-wide approach to reduce complexity for operators and travellers

Coordination, communication and planning essential

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COVID-19: EASA response

Outbreak identified in Wuhan

First European case tested (DE)

Europe is the epicenter of

pandemic

WHO recognises

the spread ofCOVID-19

as a pandemic

31 Dec 27 Jan

EASA SIB on passengers and

crew management

EASA SD mandating

disinfecting and cleaning of

aircraft

Guidance on: Aircraft Cleaning and

Disinfection; CrewManagement;

Processing of new aircraft configurations for medical transport

South America is the epicenter of

the pandemic

April - May 20 May 26 May

EASA/ECDC Aviation

Health Safety Protocol

Launch of the programme to

monitor EASA/ECDC

Protocol Implementation

11- 13 March

Transport of cargo in passengers aircrafts:

airworthiness aspects and operational

guidance

March

In April US is the epicenter of

pandemic

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COVID-19: EASA response (II)

1 July: re-opening of the

intra-EU borders

12 Jun 30 Jun – 1 Jul

Passenger Health Safety –updated measures for

summer 2020

The role of operators'

management systems in

the recovery phase

23 July 28 Aug 13 Nov

EASA and Airports and Airlines

Industry sign a cooperation agreement

on the implementation of

EASA/ECEDC Protocol

Review of Aviation safety

issues arising from COVID-19 pandemic

17 Jul

Guidance for return to service of aircraft from storage due to

the COVID-19 pandemic

SIB on aircraft storage

22 Jul

Issue 2.0EASA/ECDC

Aviation Health Safety

Protocol Guidance on virtual classroom instruction and

distance learning

Guidance on cabin crew recurrent training

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COVID-19: EASA response (III)

19 Nov 20 Nov

Updated guidelines for de-storage of

aircraft

Guidelines for Use of Cargo Tracking

Devices

17 Dec 21 Dec

Guidelines for the continued granting of

exemptions in accordance with Article 71 of the Basic Regulation

02 Dec

Guidance on use of dry ice in

COVID-19 vaccine transportation

02 Dec

Guidelines for Transport of

Cargo in Passenger

Compartments Issue 5

Testing and

quarantine-AdendumEASA/ECDC

Aviation Health Safety

Protocol

Digital PLF exchange system –pilot test

completed

22 Dec

EMA recommends first COVID-19

vaccine for authorisation

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COVID-19: EASA response (IV)

07 Jan 21 25 Mar 21

Safety Information Bulletin SIB 2021-06

Vaccination of Aircrew -

Operational Recommendations

17 Dec 21 Dec

Guidelines for Aero-Medical Centres and Aeromedical

Examiner

29 Mar 21 Soon

Guidelines for Vaccination of

ATCOs -Operational

Recommendations

22 Dec

Updated Guidelines for the continued granting

of exemptions in accordance with Article 71 of the Basic Regulation

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We started here…AHSP Implementation Monitoring, Briefing and Checklists

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EASA Program to Monitor the Protocol Implementation

53 airport operators (123 reporting airports) and 55 airlines have signed the Aviation Industry Charter, covering almost 50% of European air traffic

Weekly traffic analysed: In the peak weeks in 2020, 7 million passengers were served by participating airports and 3 million passengers were carried by participating airlines

Any deficiencies are identified and signalized to the respective organisations and corrective action is requested

The monitoring program within the Charter could be used as a warranty that the preventive measure on board aircraft and in the airports which are part of the charter are properly implemented

The Charter-like initiatives could be a starting point for a trust based system that would allow safe restart of international operations

––

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Passengers at departure airports→ The rate of passengers who

after health screening at the departure aerodrome are subject to further assessment has been fluctuating at a low level.

→ VOC 202012/01 is the mutation of SARS-CoV-2 that was first detected in the United Kingdom.

→ 501.Y.V2 is the mutation of SARS-CoV-2 that was first detected in South Africa (Source: ECDC)

Beginning of “second wave” of the pandemic

First detection of VOC 202012/01 in EU/EEA

First detection of 501.Y.V2 in EU/EEA

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Passengers at arrival airports→ The rate of passengers who after health

screening at the arrival aerodrome are subject to further assessment has increased during the second wave of the pandemic. It should be noted that there are a number of airports who perform health screening for arriving passengers, but not for departing passengers.

→ The rate of passengers who are denied entry or subject to public health measures due to the presence of symptoms have also increased, but are at a low level.

→ VOC 202012/01 is the mutation of SARS-CoV-2 that was first detected in the United Kingdom (Source: ECDC)

Beginning of “second wave” of the pandemic

First detection of VOC 202012/01 in EU/EEA

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Infected airport staff (EASA MS)→ The rate of infections amongst airport

personnel at EASA MS airports is low. → The airport staff infection rate is

considerably lower than the median infection rate of the general public in the EASA MS, and the increase in infection rates observed in the general public is not present amongst EASA MS airport personnel.

→ VOC 202012/01 is the mutation of SARS-CoV-2 that was first detected in the United Kingdom (Source: ECDC)

Beginning of “second wave” of the pandemic

First detection of VOC 202012/01 in EU/EEA

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99%

97%

94%

73%

61%

30%

97%

11%

Cleaning and disinfection of frequently touchedsurfaces

Cleaning and disinfection of plastic security screeningtrays or single use tray coverings

Proper air ventilation, such as the use of fresh air

Increasing the frequency of the filter replacements inair conditioning systems

Air quality checks to ensure air replacement

UVC filters

Enhanced cleaning and maintenance of toilets

Other

Airport Surfaces

Maintaining Clean Air and Surfaces

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Discouraging Symptomatic Travellers

Higher level of implementation of thermal screening than health questionnaires.

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Physical Distancing Measures

Airlines are apparently not implementing measures to separate passengers

Airlines and airports need to consider the flow of passengers from one part of the journey to another

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Clean Air: Masks and Ventilation

Good to see that masks are available on-board, but they need to be used and available throughout the airport.

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AHSP Implementation Main issues reported:

Physical distancing at airports Wearing surgical/medical face masks on-board aircraft

Room for improvement: Processing time at boarding and baggage claim Availability of medical face masks once in the airport and the availability of hand sanitising

gels at check-in positions Seat allocation / keeping seats unoccupied between, in front and behind passengers

(where possible)

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Summary – AHSP implementation The measures proposed in the Protocol are working and, where they are fully

implemented, the aviation environment can be considered safer as regards transmissionrisks compared to the general society

Slowdown in traffic recovery, high levels of new COVID-19 cases and new virus strainswith increased transmissibility circulating in Europe proper implementation of the AHSPon the ground and in the air must remain a priority

Areas that require focus of the competent authorities: availability of medical face masks at airports and their use on board aircraft maintaining physical distancing throughout the passenger journey

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Next steps Update of the Protocol and its Addendum discussions ongoing with European Commision and ECDC on the content and the

timeframe for the update the resulting document will reflect:

the EU Council’s updated recommendation on measures affecting free movement EU Green pass initiative ECDC Interim guidance on the benefits of full vaccination against COVID-19 for transmission

and implications for non-pharmaceutical interventions

Monitoring Programme as well as the training modules and implementation checklistsfor the NAAs to be adapted accordingly

Research activity

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Lessons learned - Harmonisation is the key

Cross-domain and international harmonisation of measuresMutual recognition of measures Avoid fraud and abuse in a coordinated manner ePLF Electronic certificates – vaccination/testing

Research Preparedness planning & Facilitation

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Questions

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