Reports from the USA have confirmed that the US Centre for Disease Control [CDC] has extended its suspension of US cruise ship operations of over 250 passengers, known as the “No Sail Order”, until 31 October this year.
It is also reported that the extension was announced at the last minute, just hours before the previous order preventing cruise ships sailing in US waters was due to expire, although the order was expected to have been extended.
Apparently though, CDC director Robert Redfield wanted the extension to run until February 2021, but it appears he was overruled by Trump administration.
The No Sail Order extension matches CLIA’s current voluntary suspension of cruises, with the CDC saying, “There is need for further action before cruise ships can safely resume passenger operations in the US”.
In a statement CDC said that outbreaks on cruise ships operating overseas were current evidence that cruise ship travel continued to transmit and amplify the spread of [Covid-19], even when ships sail at reduced passenger capacities and that they would likely spread the infection into US communities if passenger operations were to resume prematurely in the United States.
The cruise industry recently submitted to the CDC a set of health protocols the industry would implement as part of a phased resumption of cruising, such as passenger testing, onboard mask wearing and social distancing restrictions, but the CDC was not satisfied, saying that “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 [Covid-19] on board and spread to communities where passengers disembark.
Most recently though several large cruise ships have resumed service in Italy and Greece with no known cases of Covid-19, with a reported cluster of cases on a TUI ship in Greece a false alarm with all tests returning as negative.
The US cruise industry remains confident that the CDC US No Sail Order will not be extended past October 31, 2020.
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
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