CDC Warns Against Long Plane Trips and Cruises
New guidance from the CDC urges travelers, especially the elderly and those with compromised health, to avoid long plane trips “and especially” cruises — a stark shift in rhetoric from an administration that had previously appeared reluctant to discourage Americans from moving around the globe.
The CDC now recommends that travelers “defer all cruise ship travel worldwide” and notes that “cruise ship passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.” The State Department on Sunday also recommended against cruise travel, citing an increased risk of coronavirus infection, and issued a warning that citizens should not rely on repatriation flights "as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities.”
The new CDC guidance, coupled with the State Department warning, suggests a seismic shift coming for the cruise industry in particular, which depends heavily on American tourists, and disproportionately older ones.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the trade group for cruise lines, 1 in 7 cruise passengers is over 70. Mortality rates for the coronavirus are still being determined, but evidence suggests that the elderly, especially those with underlying health conditions, are disproportionately at risk.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/08/cdc-warns-plane-trips-cruises-coronavirus-124153
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