New York. Health authorities in the United States on Thursday urged the population to avoid cruise travel even if they were vaccinated, citing a recent increase in Covid-19 cases since the identification of the omicron variant.
“Avoid cruise travel regardless of vaccination status,” said a post on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, updating the cruise travel advisory to Level 4, the most high on its scale for Covid-19.
“Even fully vaccinated travelers can be at risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19 variants,” it was justified.
Between Dec. 15 and Dec. 29, 5,113 cases of covid were reported to the CDC in U.S. waters, 31 times the level of the previous two weeks, according to an email from a CDC spokesperson.
The agency recommends mitigation measures that include getting vaccinated and boosting doses, wearing a mask indoors, and getting tested before meeting.
“The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads easily among people in confined spaces on board ships, and the chance of contracting Covid-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a booster dose of the covid-19 vaccine, “the CDC said.
The increase in cases related to the highly transmissible omicron variant has posed new challenges for the cruise industry, which resumed service in the United States this summer after being essentially inactive for more than a year.
On Thursday, the Royal Caribbean company modified or canceled 16 destinations out of 331 due to the increase in covid cases. Royal Caribbean shares fell 0.2% in afternoon trading.
Carnival’s shares fell 0.6% in afternoon trading, while Norwegian Cruise Line’s was down 1.5%.
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