Norwegian Cruise Line announced Sunday that a federal judge had temporarily stopped enforcement of a Florida law barring businesses from requiring proof of vaccination for customers.The preliminary injunction was granted by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, which allows Norwegian to request vaccine documentation from customers during the trial. The Norwegian Gem will depart Miami on August 15. This is the first time the cruise line has left the state since the pandemic that decimated the cruise industry more than a decade ago.According to Johns Hopkins University data, Florida's infection rates have increased 51% over the past seven days. From July 30 through Aug. 5, the state recorded 134,506 new Covid cases, more than any other period monitored by JHU. New case positivity stands at 18.9%."It's frightening what's happening to Florida," Derek Shaffer (an attorney for Norwegian Cruise Line) said at Friday's court hearing. He requested the injunction. "All of Florida has become a hot spot... We're trying to protect our passengers and staff."Frank Del Rio, the Norwegian CEO, stated that the company is committed to safety for passengers and crew.Del Rio stated that safety and health of guests, crew, and communities is their number one priority. It's not a slogan, it's a motto. We mean it fiercely. Our commitment to these principles can be seen in the efforts of our Company to ensure that our guests have the most enjoyable cruise experience possible from Florida.
