CDC extends cruise ship 'No Sail Order' through Sept. 30

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced the extension of a “No Sail Order” for cruise ships through Sept. 30. This order continues to suspend passenger operations on cruise ships with the capacity to carry at least 250 passengers in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction, the CDC stated in its news release.
The CDC supports the June 19 decision by the Cruise Lines Inter-national Association to extend voluntarily the suspension of operations for passenger cruise ship travel until Sept. 15. In line with CLIA’s announcement of voluntary suspension of operation by its member companies, CDC has extended its “No Sail Order” to ensure that passenger operations on cruise ships do not resume prematurely.
Cumulative CDC data from March 1 through July 10, shows 2,973 COVID-19 or COVID-like illness cases on cruise ships, in addition to 34 deaths. These cases were part of 99 outbreaks on 123 different cruise ships.
During this time frame, 80 percent of ships were affected by COVID-19. As of July 3, nine of the 49 ships under the “No Sail Order” had ongoing or resolving outbreaks. According to U.S. Coast Guard data, as of July 10, there are 67 ships with 14,702 crew onboard.
This order will remain in effect until the earliest of:
—The expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency,
—The CDC director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations, or Sept. 30.
On cruise ships, 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, the news release stressed.
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 is also publishing a notice that requests information from the public regarding cruise ship planning and infrastructure, safe resumption of passenger operations, and summary questions. The CDC is accepting comments on the Request for Information in the Federal Register, once published.
The CDC will continue to update its guidance and recommendations to specify basic safety standards and public health interventions based on the best scientific evidence available.
For more information about COVID-19 and cruise ships, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/cruise-ship/what-cdc-is-doin.... To view the “No Sail Order,” go to www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise.
—About the CDC: It works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether disease start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world. Visit www.hhs.gov for informantion.