WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention issued new guidance for the cruise ship industry on Friday, including the need for COVID-19 vaccinations, a necessary step before resuming passenger travel.
The new technical instructions, the first update in October, include increasing the weekly frequency to daily reporting of COVID-19 cases and diseases and implementing routine testing of the entire crew based on the ship’s COVID-19 status and establishing a plan and timetable for vaccination crew and port personnel.
“COVID-19 vaccination efforts will be critical to the safe resumption of passenger operations,” the CDC said.
The CDC said the next phase of the CDC’s conditional navigation order will include simulated voyages to allow port crew and personnel to practice new COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers before sailing with passengers.
“The CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume the cruise when it is safe to do so, following the step-by-step approach described” in the October conditional navigation order, “the agency said.
He did not specify a date for the resumption of cruise operations in US ports, despite calls from industry to plan a gradual resumption by early July. The CDC said it would issue additional guidance before allowing the cruises to resume.
The International Cruise Lines Association, which represents Carnival Corp, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises and others, called on the CDC to issue new guidelines, saying in a March 24 statement that “the lack of any CDC action has effectively banned all navigation in the the largest cruise market in the world. He did not comment immediately on Friday.
The group said the previously conditional shipping order issued in October was “outdated” and “does not reflect the progress and success of the industry in other parts of the world, nor the emergence of vaccines and unfairly treat cruises differently.” Cruise lines should be treated in the same way as other sectors of travel, tourism, hospitality and entertainment. ”