Story at a glance
- The CDC says elderly people and those at risk of COVID-19 should avoid “non-essential” travel, including long plane rides.
- The CDC says cruise ship passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases.
- The guidance comes as a cruise ship off the coast of California reported at least 21 passengers with positive cases of COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending travelers avoid cruises and says elderly people and others at risk from COVID-19 should avoid crowded places and “non-essential” travel, including long plane rides.
The new guidance published Sunday to the CDC’s website advised travelers, particularly those with underlying health issues, to “defer all cruise ship travel worldwide,” and says “cruise ship passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.”
The recommendation comes as the Grand Princess cruise ship is carrying at least 21 people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus off the California coast. The cruise liner is expected to dock at the port of Oakland some time Monday after being held at sea for several days last week.
The ship, containing more than 3,500 passengers, has been held off the coast after a previous passenger died after being infected with COVID-19. Test kits were sent to the ship, and Vice President Mike Pence announced Friday that 19 crew members and two passengers aboard had tested positive for the virus.
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Passengers are expected to undergo medical screening by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the CDC when the ship docks. Passengers experiencing symptoms will be first off the ship, while asymptomatic passengers will be taken to military installations for screening and a 14-day quarantine, according to CNN.
Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), warned Sunday that those who are vulnerable to COVID-19 — the elderly and those with underlying health issues — should not embark on long trips and “above all,” should not go on cruises.
In the U.S., at least 564 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed with at least 22 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. At least nine states have declared emergencies in response to the outbreak.
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