US Tells Its Citizens To Avoid Cruise Travel, Even If Fully Vaccinated
"Avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status," said a posting on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website that upgraded the travel notice on cruising to Level 4, the highest on its Covid risk scale.
US health authorities on Thursday urged Americans to avoid cruise travel even if they are vaccinated, citing the surge in Covid-19 cases spurred by the Omicron variant.
"Avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status," said a posting on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website that upgraded the travel notice on cruising to Level 4, the highest on its Covid risk scale.
"Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants," the notice said.
Between December 15 and 29, there were 5,013 Covid cases in US waters reported to the CDC, 31 times the level in the prior two weeks, according to an email from a CDC spokesperson.
The agency recommends mitigation steps that include getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing a mask in indoor settings and taking a test before gathering.
"The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting Covid-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose," the CDC said.
The surge in fresh cases linked to the highly-transmissible Omicron variant has raised fresh challenges for the cruise industry, which resumed service in the United States this summer after being essentially dormant for more than a year.
On Thursday, Royal Caribbean modified or cancelled 16 destinations out of 331 due to the uptick in Covid cases. Shares of Royal Caribbean dipped 0.2 percent in afternoon trading.
Shares of Carnival fell 0.6 percent in early afternoon trading, while Norwegian Cruise Line dropped 1.5 percent.
"Avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status," said a posting on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website that upgraded the travel notice on cruising to Level 4, the highest on its Covid risk scale.
"Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants," the notice said.
Between December 15 and 29, there were 5,013 Covid cases in US waters reported to the CDC, 31 times the level in the prior two weeks, according to an email from a CDC spokesperson.
The agency recommends mitigation steps that include getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing a mask in indoor settings and taking a test before gathering.
"The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting Covid-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose," the CDC said.
The surge in fresh cases linked to the highly-transmissible Omicron variant has raised fresh challenges for the cruise industry, which resumed service in the United States this summer after being essentially dormant for more than a year.
On Thursday, Royal Caribbean modified or cancelled 16 destinations out of 331 due to the uptick in Covid cases. Shares of Royal Caribbean dipped 0.2 percent in afternoon trading.
Shares of Carnival fell 0.6 percent in early afternoon trading, while Norwegian Cruise Line dropped 1.5 percent.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.