The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday extended its order for cruise ships to stay docked or at sea through the end of September as coronavirus cases spike in the United States. The “no sail” order was first issued March 14 and will last until Sept. 30. The previous ban was set to expire July 24.
Under the CDC extension, cruise ship operators are barred from starting new trips or allowing passengers and crew who are now at sea to disembark at U.S. ports or stations unless allowed by authorities. CDC Director Robert Redfield said there were a confirmed 2,973 COVID-19 cases and 34 deaths on cruise ships before officials halted all cruises and evacuated passengers.
On June 19, the Cruise Lines International Association announced it was voluntarily suspending all cruise operations from U.S. ports until Sept. 15. The organization represents more than 50 cruise lines and more than 95 percent of global cruise capacity.
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