A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: Cruise warning downgraded

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered its Travel Health Notice threat level for cruise ships – a decision that CLIA says is “a step in the right direction.”

The threat level was downgraded this week from level 4 to level 3 – from “very high” to “high” – and stops short of warning people not to sail. The level 3 designation, however, does warn potential passengers to be “up to date” with their vaccinations and to avoid travel if they aren’t.

Among other current CDC recommendations:

• If you are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, avoid cruise ship travel even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.

• Check your cruise ship’s colour code and vaccination status classification before travelling.

• Get a COVID-19 viral test as close to time of cruise departure as possible (no more than 3 days) before you travel.

• During your cruise, wear a well-fitting mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when indoors (outside of your cabin) or in crowded outdoor settings.

• Get tested 3-5 days after your cruise, regardless of your COVID-19 vaccination status.

The cruise line association (CLIA) says the lowered threat level “recognizes the leadership and effectiveness of the cruise sector’s health and safety protocols that are unmatched by virtually any other commercial setting.”

It adds, “Cruise ships have medical, isolation and quarantine facilities on site, implement extensive response plans using private shoreside resources, and have created an environment where almost every single person is fully vaccinated. As a result, cases of COVID-19 are very low with the vast majority mild or asymptomatic ¬– making cruise unequaled in its multi-layered approach to effectively mitigating COVID-19.”

The CDC had raised its threat designation to level 4 on Dec. 30, 2021, at the peak of the omicron wave, indicating that more than 2,000 cases had been detected aboard cruises ships in the past 14 days. Level 3 indicates between 1,000 and 2,000 cases identified during the two-week time period.