Effective Nov. 1., the ban will be replaced with a “conditional sailing order,” a phased return to cruising that includes new health protocols, such as mandatory testing and capacity restrictions. “Considering the continued spread of covid-19 worldwide and increased risk of covid-19 on cruise ships, a careful approach is needed to safely resume cruise ship passenger operations,” the CDC order says. The report outlines four phases of a CDC-certified return to cruising, beginning with cruise ships establishing coronavirus testing of all crew. Phase 2 will allow ships to begin “simulated voyages designed to test a cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate covid-19 on cruise ships. In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, cruise ships outside the United States continued sailing into late March.

Source: Washington Post October 30, 2020 18:43 UTC