The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating or observing almost 70 cruise ships following the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to the CDC's website, 68 ships have either met the agency's "investigation threshold" or a health department has alerted the agency of positive COVID-19 passengers who disembarked within five days.
The CDC is investigating 36 ships while it has already investigated an additional 32 ships.
Disney, Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity are some of the cruise lines that have had their ships impacted.
The CDC has been fully informed and supportive of its protocols and operational plans, according to a Carnival spokesman. The cruise line has accommodated over one million passengers with its health protocols. The COVID-19 vaccine mandate was included in the protocols as of late November.
The remaining cruise lines did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
The Cruise Lines International Association stated in a statement that cruise ships have seen fewer COVID-19 cases than the population on land because of vaccine mandates. According to a CDC spokesman, it's impossible for cruises to be a zero-risk activity because of the high likelihood of getting the virus while cruising.
The spread of the Omicron variant has led to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Some ships have been barred from passenger disembarkation or ports of call because of this.
Airlines have been forced to cancel thousands of flights because of the rise in covid cases among airline workers.
