The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended its “No Sail Order” for all cruise ships by at least 100 days – or until Covid-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency.
The 100-day “No Sail Order” cruise ban is in place to fight the spread of the disease and to protect passenger and crew member health on board.
The new order extends on the prior one from March and applies to all cruise lines sailing in US waters.
“No Sail Order”
The order bars new cruises until the Department of Health and Human Services no longer considers COVID-19 a public-health crisis, the CDC rescinds the order, or 100 days pass.
The order also prevents cruise lines from letting passengers or crew members exit their ships at US ports without permission from the Coast Guard.
The order states that cruise lines must create plans to address and prevent the spread of COVID-19 on their ships by April 16 and must also find ways to reduce their reliance on US governments and hospitals.
Even though most cruise lines have ceased operations at the moment, the CDC has said there are 100 cruise ships at sea off U.S. coasts, with 80,000 crew members on board.
At least 10 ships reported in recent weeks they had crew or passengers that tested positive or experienced symptoms; and at least 20 cruise ships at port or anchored in the U.S. have known or suspected cases among crew.
All CLIA cruise lines have been voluntarily shut down since March after COVID-19 spread to hundreds of passengers and crew members on ships, such as the Zaandam, Diamond Princess and Costa Luminosa.
The cruise lines had planned to resume new cruises in May at the earliest, but the CDC’s order could prevent any new cruises from sailing in US-controlled waters until July.
CLIA has not yet released a statement about this extension of the order.
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