The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on July 16 that it was extending its No Sail Order for cruise ships through September 30, 2020.
This order continues to suspend passenger operations on cruise ships that carry at least 250 passengers in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
Cruise Line International Association – CLIA- issued a statement assuring the public that its “member lines remain aligned with the CDC in our commitment to public health and safety.”
CLIA also noted that it was continuing to work on developing enhanced protocols to support the safe resumption of cruise operations around the world.
“We look forward to timely and productive dialogue with the CDC to determine measures that will be appropriate for ocean-going cruise operations to resume in the United States when the time is right,” said CLIA.
The CDC argues that a cruise ship setting increases the risk of contracting the coronavirus, since passengers and crew share spaces that are more crowded than most urban settings.
“Even when only essential crew are on board, ongoing spread of COVID-19 still occurs. If unrestricted cruise ship passenger operations were permitted to resume, passengers and crew on board would be at increased risk of COVID-19 infection and those that work or travel on cruise ships would place substantial unnecessary risk on healthcare workers, port personnel and federal partners (i.e., Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard), and the communities they return to.”
The CDC says that it will continue to update its guidance and recommendations to specify basic safety standards and public health interventions based on the best scientific evidence available.
