CDC Extends No Sail Order to October 31

A number of media outlets are reporting that the CDC will extend its No Sail Order to Oct. 31, 2020.

Many are also saying that the CDC was pushing for an extension all the way through to February 2021, but that the White House nixed that.

News site Axios reported on Sept. 29 that the CDC and the White House reached agreement on the Oct. 31, 2020 date, however that CDC Director Robert Redfield had originally put forth Feb. 15, 2021.

Typically, the CDC announces the extensions via its website CDC.gov, however at press time no new statement had been posted.

The CDC extended its No Sail Order in mid-July, barring the operation of all U.S.-based ocean-going cruise ships through to Sept. 30. The No Sail Order has been in place since March when COVID-19 became a pandemic and after several cruise ships were stranded at sea with passengers who had contracted the virus.

On Aug. 5 CLIA announced that its ocean-going cruise lines would extend their voluntary pause in operations until at least Oct. 31, one month later than the No Sail Order at that time.

Last week, the Healthy Sail Panel submitted its first phase of recommendations to the CDC. The panel, formed earlier this summer by the Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, was tasked with finding best-practice COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the cruise industry in the wake of the pandemic.

In turn, CLIA announced the adoption of mandatory core elements of a strong set of health protocols, including those recommended by the Healthy Sail Panel, to be implemented as part of a “phased-in, highly controlled” resumption of operations.

Source: Travelweek