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Despite requests from the industry, the CDC will not be lifting its conditional sailing order early.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) responded to public requests from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to lift its Framework for Conditional Sailing Order earlier than the planned ending date of Nov. 1. According to the government organization, it has no plans to alter the dates of the order.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) responded to public requests from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to lift its Framework for Conditional Sailing Order earlier than the planned ending date of Nov. 1. (iStock)
In an email to TradeWinds, a cruise industry trade publication, the CDC said, "On October 30, 2020, CDC issued Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) that remains in effect until November 1, 2021. Returning to passenger cruising is a phased approach to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19. Details for the next phase of the CSO are currently under interagency review."
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Under the CDC’s current order, cruise lines are given a "framework of actionable items" to complete, including the demonstration of coronavirus mitigation factors. In addition to meeting strict criteria for health, safety and testing, cruise operators are also required to stage mock voyages.
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The order, first issued in October following the CDC lifting a blanket "no-sail" order, is set to expire Nov. 1 of this year, the CDC says. It could also expire earlier, if the Secretary of Health and Human Services no longer declares the pandemic to be a public health emergency, or later, if the national public health institute modifies the order based on public health considerations.
Fox News previously reported that the CLIA on Wednesday argued that the "phased resumption of cruise operations" from U.S. ports should instead begin in early July, citing the few observed cases of coronavirus transmission on cruises that have resumed internationally.
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"Over the past eight months, a highly-controlled resumption of cruising has continued in Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific — with nearly 400,000 passengers sailing to date in more than 10 major cruise markets," Kelly Craighead, CLIA’s President and CEO, was quoted as saying in a press release. "These voyages were successfully completed with industry-leading protocols that have effectively mitigated the spread of COVID-19."
Fox News' Michael Bartiromo and Janine Puhak contributed to this report.