Two American cruise companies will require proof of vaccination against the coronavirus before passengers can embark from July.
The requirements, set by the American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines, they are part of the guidelines called “SafeCruise” that companies have established to keep passengers and employees safe while traveling.
“Vaccination requirements for our passengers and crew are the next most prudent step to ensure that we are offering the safest cruise experience possible,” John Wagoner, CEO and founder of the American Queen Steamboat Company, told Condé Nast Traveler.
The guidelines of both companies stipulate that passengers and crew must be vaccinated against the coronavirus from July 1st to travel.
The industry was hit as a result of the pandemic, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) docked cruises from March to October last year.
Both companies will resume cruises starting in April, instituting precautions against the coronavirus, such as masks and temperature checks, although the vaccine’s mandate starts in July.
The companies said they are not concerned about the requirement, as many of their customers are older and are entitled to the vaccine. The crew is also eligible for the vaccine under the CDC’s Phase 1c priority system, as they are employees of a transportation company, the two companies said, Condé Nast Traveler reported.
The United States has focused on vaccinating two of its most vulnerable populations – the elderly and healthcare professionals – since the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were approved.
The Biden government has promised to administer 100 million injections in the first 100 days of President Biden’s term as efforts to distribute the vaccine increase.
Public health authorities, including leading infectious disease specialists Anthony Fauci
Commissioner Anthony FauciNFL offers stadiums as vaccination sites. The CDC says schools are safe, but Biden continues to ignore science, doctors Jill Biden and dogs appear in ads promoting the use of masks during the Puppy Bowl. MORE, predicted that more than 75 percent of the population will need to be vaccinated for the country to return to a version of normality.