President Trump’s coronavirus task force reportedly overruled Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield when he recommended an order banning passenger cruise trips be extended into 2021.
Following outbreaks of the coronavirus on cruise ships in March, like the Diamond Princess, which had more than 800 positive coronavirus cases alone, the CDC issued a no-sail order on all U.S. cruise ships for 30 days. In April, the order was extended another 100 days.
The most recent extension on the order expires Wednesday. Redfield suggested extending the order until February 2021, according to Axios, which cited two people with knowledge of the meeting.
Vice President Mike Pence reportedly told Redfield, “they would be proceeding with a different plan.” The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment.
The Cruise Line International Association, which represents 95% of global oceangoing passenger ship capacity, wants to resume sailing gradually, using test voyages with crew members posing as passengers.
Pre-cruise testing will be a key part of avoiding the same cruise ship outbreaks that occurred in the early spring.
“The one thing that you want to make sure of is that the virus doesn’t get on there in the first place,” former acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Dr. Stephen Ostroff told the New York Times.
