A new CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevent) report recommends that travelers “defer all cruise travel worldwide” due to increased risk for coronavirus. The report is available here.
SARS-CoV-2 RNA (not a live virus) was found after 17 days on the Diamond Princess in an empty stateroom, and the report also outlines some 800 coronavirus cases between the Diamond and Grand Princess ships. Princess had preserved key staterooms for research and testing purposes, according to a statement.
During the initial stages of the coronavirus, the Diamond Princess was the setting of the largest outbreak outside mainland China, according to the CDC.
“Cruise ships are often settings for outbreaks of infectious diseases because of their closed environment and contact between travelers from many countries,” said the CDC. “More than 800 cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases occurred during outbreaks on three cruise ship voyages, and cases linked to several additional cruises have been reported across the United States. Transmission occurred across multiple voyages from ship to ship by crew members; both crew members and passengers were affected; 10 deaths associated with cruise ships have been reported to date.”
