The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will keep its stringent framework for a resumption of cruise ship operations until Nov. 1, rebuffing an industry body's push to lift the order early, CNBC reported https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/1374789941293682694 on Wednesday.
The CDC did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Cruise Lines International Association had urged the CDC to allow for a return to sailing from U.S. ports by early July, arguing that the health agency's stance did not reflect the accelerated roll out of vaccines or cruise operators' safety advancements. (https://bit.ly/3ffIztx)
The CDC in October issued a "conditional sailing order" that comprised a framework for a phased resumption of cruises, requiring testing and additional safeguards for crew members, as well as simulated voyages to test cruise ship operators' ability to mitigate the risk of virus transmission.
At the time it said the order would remain in effect until Nov. 1, unless it decided otherwise or if the virus was no longer deemed a public health emergency.
Shares of cruise operators Carnival Corp, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings fell in afternoon trading.
(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
