US public health agency extends cruise ban for a further month
Cruise ships will have to wait another month before setting sail in US waters after America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended their no-sail order.
The CDC’s ban, initially issued in March, had been set to expire on September 30 but will now be in place until at least October 31 amid reports of recent outbreaks of coronavirus on ships in other parts of the world.
“Recent passenger voyages in foreign countries continue to have outbreaks, despite cruise ship operators having extensive health and safety protocols to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on board and spread to communities where passengers disembark,” the CDC said in a statement.
Although there have been isolated cases on ships that have resumed sailing, the only major outbreak has been onboard Hurtigruten’s Roald Amundsen.
According to CDC reports, between March 1 and September 29 data showed at least 3,689 Covid-19 or Covid-like illnesses on cruise ships in US waters, with at least 41 reported deaths. The agency warned that “these numbers are likely incomplete and an underestimate.”
“On cruise ships, passengers and crew share spaces that are more crowded than most urban settings,” said the CDC. “Data show that when only essential crew are on board, ongoing spread of SARS-CoV-2 still occurs. If unrestricted cruise ship passenger operations were permitted to resume, passengers and crew on board would be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and those that work or travel on cruise ships would place substantial unnecessary risk on healthcare workers, port personnel and federal partners [...] and the communities they return to.”
The extension of the no-sail order was expected, with many cruise lines already voluntarily suspending US sailings until October 31 even before the CDC announced its decision.
Cruise writer Dave Monk said: "It's no surprise that the CDC has extended the US ban by a month, to coincide with CLIA's voluntary suspension, and it at least shows that the regulator and the industry are beginning to work step in step.
"Of course, this doesn't mean US cruising will come back in a flurry on November 1. The no-sail order could be further extended, to deal with the amount of public feedback and cruise line proposals that have been submitted to the CDC, and – in any case – many individual companies have already announced suspensions into December or beyond.
"The big lines will now be preparing to bring back a few ships at a time, in the hope that there is finally light at the end of the Covid tunnel."
According to the New York Times the CDC had wanted to extend the order, which applies to cruise ships that can carry more than 250 passengers and crew, into February 2021 but the White House blocked the move.
While a resumption of sailing is certainly possible in November, the cruise industry’s recovery from the pandemic could still be months away. Following the CDC’s announcement, Carnival Cruise Line cancelled sailings from all American ports except its home ports of Miami and Port Canaveral.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said: “As we have said throughout this pause, our return to operations will be gradual and phased in. And while we are not making any presumptions, once cruising is allowed, we will centre our initial start-up from the homeports of Miami and Port Canaveral.
“The health and safety of our guests, crew and communities we serve remain the cornerstone of our plans and decisions. The patience and support of our guests and travel agent partners have been a huge motivation to our team as we have worked through this unprecedented situation and we are dedicated to getting back to operations when the time is right.”
