Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is threatening to sue the federal government if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not allow cruises to resume until the summer.
Why does it matter: Florida is at the center of the United States cruise industry, with Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral among the busiest ports in the world. Millions of passengers pass in a typical year. It is worth billions of dollars to the state’s economy, per AP.
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Driving the news: DeSantis appeared alongside Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) and Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney and Norwegian cruise line leaders at a press conference in Port Canaveral on Friday to justify lifting the order of ban on boarding.
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“They did the No-Sail Order in March 2020 … and it was never really to the point where they are making an effort to really get it back,” said DeSantis.
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“It has a kind of ripple effect on every business,” he said. “When they’re sailing, there are more economic opportunities for people in a wide range of businesses. This affects many jobs. What we need is a path to follow ”.
“Is it okay for the government to stop an industry for a year with no end in sight?”
DeSantis
For registration: The CDC implemented a ban on boarding orders after COVID-19 cases increased on cruise ships at the beginning of the pandemic.
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Last October, the public health agency replaced its less restrictive “boarding ban” order for cruises in the United States with a less restrictive “conditional navigation order”, setting the stage for the gradual resumption of cruise passenger travel – which DeSantis criticized for being “totally unrealistic.”
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Moody said that if a lawsuit were opened, he would contest this order, as he said it was based on outdated medical information that is no longer valid.
Of importance: University of Florida epidemiologist Cindy Prins told the AP that it is “too early” to resume cruises, given the increased risk of the virus spreading among passengers staying on ships for long periods.
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She noted that “symptom testing and screening are not perfect methods of prevention”.
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Prins added that companies would have to limit the number of passengers, with crews obliged to show that they are fully vaccinated to reduce the risk of spreading the virus – something DeSantis opposes and no industry leader spoke at the news conference, notes the AP .
The big picture: Florida became one of the worldwide epicenters of the virus last July, forcing DeSantis to halt the state’s first round of reopening.
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He totally lifted restaurant restrictions last September, as part of a commitment to reopen the economy, saying “we are not going to close anything going forward”.
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The state had an average of about 2,700 new daily cases at the time.
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The CDC did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
By the numbers: Florida has confirmed more than 5,000 cases a day since last Monday, including 5,688 on Friday, according to the state health department.
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There have been at least 3,689 cases of COVID-19 or coronavirus-like disease on cruise ships in U.S. waters, “in addition to at least 41 reported deaths,” said the CDC last October.
Go deeper: The response to Florida’s pandemic receives a second glance from the national media
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