US extends navigation conditions on COVID-19 cruises until January

The health authorities of USA extended until January 15 the conditions for traveling on cruise ships established during the pandemic of the COVID-19 from ports of the country, which expired next Monday, November 1.

In this way, the so-called Conditions for Navigation Ordinance (CSO), issued in October 2020, which provides instructions for travel during the pandemic, especially related to passenger and crew vaccination, disease testing and use, will be extended. of mask.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, in English) detailed this Monday that the rules continue temporarily until January 15 “with minor modifications,” which they did not specify.

The CDC noted that since the issuance of the CSO “cruise companies have developed and implemented health and safety protocols to manage COVID-19 and resume navigation.”

The federal entity stressed that “they intend to transition to a voluntary program, in coordination with cruise operators and other stakeholders, to help the cruise industry detect, mitigate and control the spread of COVID-19 to aboard the cruise ships ”.

For its part, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 95% of companies with ocean cruises, emphasized today that the health protocols have been the result of dialogue with the Government of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, and applauded “the changes” made today by the CDC.

“They show that the Biden Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize the successful resumption of operations in the cruise industry,” stated CLIA.

He noted that the cruise industry protocols, which resumed in the country in the middle of the year, “are unique in their approach to monitoring, detecting and responding to potential cases of COVID-19.

He recalled that the economic impact of the cruise industry in the country “helps maintain almost 450,000 American jobs and reactivates local economies in places like Alaska, California, Florida, Texas, New York and many other states.”

The CDC clarified, however, that as of July 23, 2021, the CSO and accompanying measures, such as technical instructions, “are non-binding recommendations” for cruise ships arriving, departing, or staying in Florida.

In this state, Governor Ron DeSantis filed a lawsuit against the measures to mitigate the pandemic ordered by the federal government, which is still pending in the courts.