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The CDC is committing to a mid-July restart for cruise ships from U.S. ports. Photo Credit: Yevgen Belich/Shutterstock.com
Cruise lines can skip test sailings if they attest that 98% of crew
and 95% of passengers will be fully vaccinated, the CDC told cruise
lines in a letter Wednesday night in which it committed to a mid-July
restart from the U.S.
The CDC said the change was the result of twice-weekly meetings with
cruise lines over the past month. The CDC s current Conditional Sailing
Order (CSO) mandates trial sailing prior to commercial ones in order to
test Covid-19 mitigation protocols. The lines would then have to apply
SHOW TRANSCRIPT
The cruise industry might get the green light to resume operations in U.S. waters in mid-July.
That timeline will be dependent on cruise companies compliance with the CDC s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, an agency spokeswoman told USA Today.
In the meantime, the CDC says cruise ships must conduct simulation voyages to test their health and safety protocols.
Cruise ships have been unable to sail in U.S. waters for more than a year following several outbreaks on board ships at the start of the pandemic.
Cruises could resume in US by mid-July with vaccinations, CDC says
• 5 min read
2:07
Domestic travel is on the rise as camping and RV travel still remain popular amid the pandemic
Lifestyle journalist Genevieve Shaw Brown talks about what summer vacation could like this this year.Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE
U.S. cruises could resume as early as mid-July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now telling the cruise industry.
Since March 2020, the CDC has blocked cruise ships that carry more than 250 people from sailing in U.S. waters.
The CDC clarified its existing return-to-sailing framework on Wednesday, allowing cruise companies to bypass previously required simulated voyages if a ship attests that 98% of its crew and 95% of its passengers are fully vaccinated.
Earlier this month, the state of Florida filed a lawsuit against the federal government demanding that cruise ships be allowed to start sailing immediately.
In announcing the lawsuit, which Alaska has since joined, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the no-sail order is outdated and hurts the state as the industry generates billions for the economy and employs tens of thousands of Floridians. Gov. Ron DeSantis announces that Florida is suing the federal government and the CDC to allow cruises to reopen.
The CDC on April 2 had issued new guidelines for companies on how to respond in the event of COVID-19 cases but has so far not lifted its no-sail order.