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UPDATE Chaos At Sea: CDC investigating, observing at least 86 cruise ships as Omicron surges

Wikolia

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now investigating or observing almost 70 cruise ships following COVID-19 outbreaks aboard the vessels, according to the agency's update on Monday.

According to the CDC's website, 68 ships have either met the agency's "investigation threshold" of crew or passengers COVID-19 outbreaks, or a health department has alerted the agency of positive COVID-19 passengers who disembarked within five days.

The CDC is currently investigating 36 ships while it has already investigated an additional 32 ships, but these vessels remain "under observation."

Impacted ships come from cruise lines including Disney, MSC Cruises, Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity.

A Carnival spokesperson told Insider in a statement that the CDC has been "fully informed and supportive of its protocols and operational plans." Similarly, an MSC Cruises spokesperson told Insider that the cruise line has accommodated over one million passengers with its health protocols. As of late November, these protocols have included a COVID-19 vaccine mandate among other policies.

The remaining cruise lines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

A Cruise Lines International Association spokesperson noted in a statement that cruise ships have seen fewer COVID-19 cases than the population on "land," in part because of vaccine mandates. But according to a statement from a CDC spokesperson, the likelihood of getting the virus while cruising is still "high," and it's impossible for cruises to be a "zero-risk activity."

This update comes as COVID-19 cases continue to spike amid the spread of the Omicron variant. This has caused some ships to be barred from passenger disembarkation or ports of call, and three major cruise lines to enforce stricter masking mandates.

The rise in covid cases among the airline workers, combined with the onset of bad weather, has also pushed airlines to cancel thousands of flights.

68 cruise ships under CDC investigation following COVID outbreaks

 

Hooli

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Although I am sick and tired of COVID, I still know it's real. There's no way in hell I'd be going on a cruise.
 

Bella Goth

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People who think it's okay to go on cruise ships are no different to me than people who eat out at restaurants, go to parties, and visit people. It's all stupid and the reason we're still in this mess.

Anyway, I wish the CDC would stop pretending they're actually doing their jobs. They need to "investigate" why they've been absolutely useless for the past two years.
 

Femme Pop

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What is there to investigate? Of course ppl are going to catch covid on a cruise...they're all stuck on a ship sharing the same air. It's really not that complicated.

I guess they'd rather do this than admit that the vaccinated can pass on the virus just as easily as the unvaxxed, cuz you have to be vaccinated to go on those cruises.

Guess some folks got to learn the hard way to stay their asses home.
 

theend

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Confused Robert Downey Jr GIF
 

gwc2005

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Do these cruise ships require the vax? Pro-vax LSA said it was the unvax that was out here partying, couldn’t stay home and carrying on as if we aren’t in the middle of a pandemic—another lie exposed.
 

Hooli

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Do these cruise ships require the vax? Pro-vax LSA said it was the unvax that was out here partying, couldn’t stay home and carrying on as if we aren’t in the middle of a pandemic—another lie exposed.
"You won't die, though!" is what I was told...

:)

plz pro-vaxxers, I was just making a joke. No need to bombard me with paragraphs of facts. PLZ
 

tbbyolumbatobby

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(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday increased the risk level for cruise ship travel to its highest level and said it should be avoided, regardless of vaccination status.
The agency bumped up the travel risk level for cruise travel from Level 3 to Level 4, indicating the risk for Covid-19 is "very high."

The move "reflects increases in cases onboard cruise ships since identification of the Omicron variant," the CDC website says.

"Since the identification of the Omicron variant, there has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among cruise passengers and crew reported to CDC. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of cruise ships meeting the COVID-19 case threshold for CDC investigation," the agency said.

In addition to including cruise travel in its wider list of travel advisories looking at countries worldwide, the agency has created a color status classification for cruise ships.

On December 30, the agency listed 91 ships in its yellow category that indicates that the volume of Covid cases reported has met the CDC's threshold for investigation. That's five more ships than were listed as yellow on December 28. On December 30, no ships were listed as red, which indicates that reported cases are at or above the threshold for investigation.


Three ships were listed as orange on December 30, indicating that reported cases are below the CDC's threshold for investigation. Sixteen ships were listed as green, meaning that the ships had no reported cases of Covid-19.

Green, orange, yellow and red designations indicate a ship's Covid situation from best to worst. A gray designation is reserved for ships that the CDC has not reviewed for Covid safety.

Decision is 'perplexing,' industry association says​

Cruise Lines International Association, a trade association, expressed disappointment at the CDC's elevated risk level.

"The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard -- far fewer than on land -- and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore," CLIA said in a statement.

The association said that "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."

At least four ocean cruise ships were turned away from ports of call or were prohibited from letting passengers disembark in the Americas this week because of Covid-19 cases aboard.

Advice if you decide to cruise anyway​

While the CDC says to "avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status," it advises those who do travel on a cruise ship to make sure they are fully vaccinated and boosted, if eligible. People who go on a cruise should also get tested one to three days before their trip, and three to five days after, regardless of vaccination status.

The unvaccinated should also self-quarantine for a five full days after. People on cruise ships should also wear masks in shared places, CDC says.

Most cruise lines are requiring all or the vast majority of passengers and crew to be vaccinated, in compliance with a CDC Conditional Sailing Order that was implemented to allow cruise operations to resume more than a year after the industry came to a standstill at the start of the pandemic.

Many cruise lines also require pre-departure testing, regardless of vaccination status.

Some lines, including Royal Caribbean, require all passengers 2 and older to be masked in indoor public areas, except while actively eating and drinking.

Before coronavirus variants brought a rise in breakthrough cases among the vaccinated, some lines did not require vaccinated passengers to wear masks in areas reserved for vaccinated guests.










 

Crzycoolgeek

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Aww I really feel for the cruise industry but they should all shut down until there is a handle on this. Ppl love cruises so I don't see the industry going away but vaccinated doesn't mean immune to Covid. Too many ppl just don't and won't follow protocol. Lots of money will be lost but it's better than being sued and fined over the next few years
 

Crzycoolgeek

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So everyone is 100% vaccinated and there are still outbreaks
Not all cruise lines require vaccination that's the thing. And I think only one is testing people right before the enter the boat.

All those ppl plus overworked and underpaid staff ppl are probably getting away with murder.
 

HipsDontLie

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I am cackling because I personally know several people who got the vaccine so that tehy can travel and go on "vaccinated only" cruises. LMAO clinical trial participants really thought they were doing something by participating in this ongoing failed experiment.
 

Christinazz1990

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Why tf are Cruise lines open??? I recently learned many of them don’t even have to be vaccinated, wow what could go wrong? Smdh these companies have to do better because this sh!t makes no sense!
 

BlkRadiance

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Ig this makes me wonder who in their right mind is taking a cruise anytime soon in close quarters w hundreds of strangers w questionable vaccination statuses, stuck on the open water with new variants of an airborne virus popping up seemingly every few weeks.
 

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