High risk passengers with COVID-19 complications to avoid cruising

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Travellers who are at high risk of post COVID complications should avoid going for cruises regardless of their vaccination status.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said this on there medical bulletin.

The latest guidance also recommended travellers who did not get their full vaccine doses to restrain from going on cruises.

According the CDC, the new advice follows several coronavirus outbreaks that have been reported aboard cruise ships.

The agency does not put masking requirements in appropriate order that exists for planes, trains and other public transports.

But, for cruise passengers it recommends wearing face covers in shared spaces.

The updated CDC guideline states that the virus that causes COVID 19 spreads easily between people in close quarters aboard ships.

The chance of contracting the virus on cruise ships is higher.

The agency advised all passengers to get testes one to three days before taking a cruise and three to five days after return.

It holds true regardless of their vaccination status.

Those who rake a cruise should also quarantine themselves for seven days after return even if they test negative for the virus.

The new guideline came out just a week after the Belize Tourism Board announced that 27 people aboard a Carnival Cruise tested COVID positive.

After the industry shut itself down at the beginning of the pandemic due to several outbreaks aboard ships, CDC has been enforcing strict guidelines to prevent further damage.

Of the three cruise operators, Royal Caribbean was first to return to operations and has had a few cases aboard ships.

The CEO and chairman Richard Fain said that it was the goal.

The Royal Caribbean and Carnival have been allowing some passengers who did not get vaccine, aboard ships, but Norwegian has not.

Norwegian even filed a lawsuit against Florida surgeon general to stop a state ban that prevented businesses from requiring customers to show COVID vaccination proof.

The cruise operator was granted a temporary halt on the enforcement of law. But Florida has filed an appeal.

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