Cozumel, Mahahual, Q.R. — The two main cruise ship destinations for Quintana Roo have been hit again with the announcement of a extended No Sail Order for the industry. Both Cozumel and Mahahual, the state’s two main cruise ship ports, will have to wait until October before they see the arrival of any ships.
The news came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement saying there is an “extension of a No Sail Order for cruise ships through September 30, 2020. This order continues to suspend passenger operations on cruise ships with the capacity to carry at least 250 passengers in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction.”
The CDC’s statement focused on 99 outbreaks on 123 ships, saying that 80 percent of cruise ships were impacted by the current health Covid-19 crisis.
“Cumulative CDC data from March 1 through July 10, 2020, shows 2,973 COVID-19 or COVID-like illness cases on cruise ships, in addition to 34 deaths. These cases were part of 99 outbreaks on 123 different cruise ships. During this time frame, 80 percent of ships were affected by COVID-19. As of July 3, nine of the 49 ships under the No Sail Order have ongoing or resolving outbreaks.”
The agency says they made their announcement in support of the June 19th decision by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to voluntarily extend the suspension of operations for passenger cruise ship travel.
A statement from CLIA said “As reflected in today’s announcement, CLIA and its member lines remain aligned with the CDC in our commitment to public health and safety. We are also pleased the CDC has announced its intention to issue a request for information about the industry’s resumption of passenger operations.”
They went on to say that they “continue to work toward the development of enhanced protocols to support the safe resumption of cruise operations around the world” and “look forward to timely and productive dialogue with the CDC to determine measures that will be appropriate for ocean-going cruise operations to resume in the United States when the time is right.”