COVID-19 Prevention Measures
Staff infection control measures and facility management
Prime Scuba Ishigaki will take every precaution to ensure the health of its staff and thoroughly sanitize its facilities and rental equipment.
(1) Staff health management
Avoidance of COVID-19 risks, prompt reporting of suspected contact with COVID-19 patients, and a two-week stay at home.
(2) Disinfection of rental equipment
Rental equipment is cleaned with hypochlorite water after use. Rental masks are cleaned with kitchen detergent (surface-active agent).
(iii) Installation of sanitizer spray bottles
Spray bottles of hypochlorite water (residual chlorine concentration of approximately 100 ppm) are always available on board.
4) Cleaning the ship at the end of the day
After the cruise, the ship is cleaned daily with sufficient hypochlorite water
(5) Cleaning of the inside of pick-up and drop-off vehicles
Pick-up and drop-off vehicles are cleaned with sanitizer every morning before use
6) Onboard payment system is available to minimize the use of the shop facility.
Although our shop facility has a large enough open space, we recommend our guests complete their payment on the boat so that they do not need to use our shop facility. This also reduces the travel time after their dive cruise.
*Prime Scuba Ishigaki mainly uses hypochlorite water as a sanitizer. (Sodium dichloroisocyanurate solution, adjusted to a residual chlorine concentration of approximately 100 ppm.)
Sodium hypochlorite solution of sodium dichloroisocyanurate has been recognized by the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation as effective in inactivating new coronaviruses at 100ppm or higher and is used because it is considered more suitable for the diving service environment than alcohol, whose effectiveness decreases dramatically when wet.
We have a 100L tank on board to prepare hypochlorous acid water for ship cleaning and hand sanitizing. The chlorine concentration of the hypochlorite water decreases with time, and we, therefore, prepare hypochlorite water once every two days.
Refusal of customers at risk of infection
If an infected person is found in an area where medical facilities are vulnerable, the impact on the local community will be immeasurable. We urge everyone planning a trip to Ishigaki Island to take even greater precautions before coming to the island.
For this reason, please note that the following customers are not permitted to use this service.
(1) Those who are infected with a new type of coronavirus at the time of their arrival on the island.
(2) Those who have been identified as a person in close contact or are suspected of having been in contact with an infected person or a person in close contact within 2 weeks prior to their visit to the island.
(iii) Those who do not take thorough measures against new coronavirus infection, such as avoiding the three secret places.
(4) Those who have various symptoms of a cold, such as a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher, or are in poor health at the time of their visit to the island.
If you make a reservation more than 2 weeks prior to your visit, please understand the above before making a reservation and preparing for your visit to the island. In principle, we ask that reservations be made at least two weeks in advance. However, if you must make a reservation after your arrival on the island, please read the above carefully and make sure that none of the above apply to you before making a reservation.
Requests to guests during the cruise
We ask for the following cooperation from all participants on our dive cruises.
(i) Wearing masks and social distance
Please bring your own mask on the day of your visit. Currently, we limit the number of guests to a maximum of 12 to allow for sufficient social distance on the ship. The ship is an open space, so as long as you can maintain a sufficient distance from other guests, you do not need to wear a mask, but otherwise, please be sure to wear one.
(2) Temperature on the day of participation
Please make sure that you are in good physical condition when participating in our programs. We will take your temperature before boarding the ship, and those with a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher will not be allowed to board. Those who are not feeling well on the day of the program, especially those showing symptoms of a cold, will also not be allowed to participate.
(iii) Frequent hand sanitizing
Hypochlorous acid water (residual chlorine concentration of approximately 100 ppm) is available in spray bottles on board. Please disinfect your hands frequently.
(4) Control your own equipment, especially masks and mouthpieces, so that they do not come in contact with other people’s equipment.
After diving, please place your equipment in the equipment storage area at the back of the boat. Please be careful not to let your mask and mouthpiece touch other divers’ equipment.
(5) Use the toilet while sitting down
Blue Swan has toilets. When using the toilet, please be sure to use it sitting down. After using the toilet, please close the lid and flush the toilet.
6) Only one guest may use the dry room on a case-by-case basis.
A dry room at the front of the ship is available for guests to leave changes of clothes and other non-wet items, but only one guest may enter the dry room at a time. A basket is available for each guest to carry small towels and other items to the deck area.
Prevention of new coronavirus infections is not only a matter of our company’s measures, but is only effective with the cooperation of our guests. We appreciate your cooperation in creating an environment where all participants can enjoy their diving vacations with peace of mind.
