The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring 92 cruise ships with reported cases of Covid-19 on board, as Omicron — the highly transmissible but drastically less severe variant of Covid-19 — spreads worldwide.
The CDC, which posted the list on its website Tuesday and continues to add ships as more cases are reported, investigates a ship if cases account for 0.10 percent of passengers in the past seven days, or if one or more crew members test positive for the virus.
Part of the reason for the investigation is to ensure that cruise ships have adequate medical resources to address an outbreak. "When a cruise ship operating under the Conditional Sailing rder notifies CDC of suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 on board, CDC determines whether an investigation is needed, based on a predetermined investigation threshold. This investigation threshold gives CDC and the cruise industry the ability to work closely together to protect the health and safety of those on board and in communities," the CDC said.
Ship color status
Ship color status is determined using surveillance data from the previous 7 days—regardless of voyage dates— and CDC investigation findings, the CDC said.
-at or above the investigation threshold for crew Covid-19 cases,
-at or above the investigation threshold for passenger Covid-19 cases; or
-state or local health department notified CDC of passenger Covid-19 cases occurring within 5 days of disembarkation.