WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday released a new guideline for the cruise ship industry, including the need for COVID-19 vaccines, a necessary step before trips. passengers can be resumed.
The new technical instructions, the first update since October, include increasing the frequency of weekly reports for COVID-19 case and disease diaries and implementing routine testing of the entire crew based on a ship’s and establishment’s COVID-19 status. of a plan and schedule for vaccinating crew and port personnel.
“COVID-19 vaccination efforts will be essential for the safe resumption of passenger operations,” said the CDC.
The CDC said the next phase of the CDC’s conditional sailing order will include simulated trips to allow crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operating procedures with volunteers before boarding passengers.
“CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume cruising when it is safe to do so, following the phased approach outlined” in the October conditional sailing order, “said the agency.
He did not specify a date for the resumption of cruise operations at U.S. ports, despite requests from the industry to plan for a phased resumption until early July. The CDC said it will issue additional guidance before allowing cruises to resume.
The Cruise Lines International Association, which represents Carnival Corp, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises and others, implored the CDC to issue a new guidance, saying in a March 24 statement that “the lack of any CDC action effectively banned all travel on the largest cruise market in the world. ”He did not immediately comment on Friday.
The group had said that the previous conditional sailing order issued in October was “outdated” and “does not reflect the proven advances and success of the industry operating in other parts of the world, nor the advent of vaccines, and treats cruises unfairly. differently. Cruise lines should be treated in the same way as other travel, tourism, hospitality and entertainment sectors. ”