The travel warning for cruise ships was raised to the highest level on Thursday.
The latest update advises people to avoid traveling by cruise ship regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status and comes on the heels of a recent uptick in positive coronaviruses cases as the Omicron variant continues to spread worldwide.
VERTISING
The CDC warns that the virus can be spread quickly between people in close quarters on a cruise ship. Travelers who decide to board a cruise will be encouraged to get a booster dose of vaccine if they are eligible. Passengers who are not fully protected from vaccine can self-quarantine for at least five days after travel.
The CDC's update was disappointing, but theCLIA will continue to work with the agency to ensure passenger safety.
The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly puzzling considering that the majority of the cases identified on cruise ships are mild in nature, posing little to no risk. Cruise provides one of the highest levels of demonstrated mitigation against the virus. Cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures, known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land, according to the CLIA.
The decision to single out the cruise industry was disappointing, but we are committed to working with the CDC in the interest of public health and safety.
The organization said that the cruise industry is the only one in the US that requires both vaccinations and testing for crew and guests.
"Protocols encompass the entirety of the cruise experience, including testing, vaccination, screening, sanitation, mask-wearing and other science-backed measures," said CLIA. Many of our members have announced additional measures in response to the Omicron variant, including strengthening testing, masking and other requirements, as well as encouraging booster vaccine doses for those eligible."
The data shows that the cruise industry continues to achieve significantly lower rates of occurrence of COVID-19, even with higher rates of testing. If more than 7 passengers have tested positive in the last year, a cruise ship may be determined to be yellow.
