The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring or investigating 94 ships for COVID-19 as of January 4th, as it warns Americans to “avoid cruise travel” regardless of vaccination status.
There were more than 5,000 COVID cases on board cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters the last two weeks of December, according to the CDC, but the fact that the public health agency is monitoring or investigating a specific ship does not mean there is a widespread COVID-19 outbreak on board. Even with stringent vaccination, testing and masking, among other protocols, it is fairly common for coronavirus cases to emerge among passengers and crew on cruise vessels.
While the CDC said the rise in cases since the identification of the omicron variant prompted it to issue a level 4 warning about cruising on Thursday, the CDC long anticipated cases on board ships, in part because of the very nature of cruising.
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Source: USA Today
