In an update published Feb. 9, the agency clarified the modifications of its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships Operating in U.S. Waters and added criteria for how the CDC determines the level for the cruise ship COVID-19 TravelThe new guidelines allow cruise ships operating in U.S. waters to choose to participate in the CDC's COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, which requires participating cruise lines to report the vaccination status classification for each ship.
Those who opt out of the program will be designated as "Gray," meaning the CDC has neither reviewed nor confirmed the cruise ship operator’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Cruise lines that plan to join the program have until Feb. 18 to notify the Maritime Unit regarding their decision. All travelers on the cruise ship with signs and symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must be isolated and tested for infection immediately upon notifying medical staff of symptom onset.
For ships that do not have that classification, the CDC says close contacts must quarantine until at least 10 days after their last exposure and receive a viral test – a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test is preferred – immediately and on day 10 before ending quarantine. If they remain asymptomatic after 10 days and both tests are negative, they may end quarantine.
They should do this with their recommendations on salt intake too.
How legal is this?
The cruise lines should tell the CDC to pack sand.