Many students wade through waist-deep water to head to neighbour's house for online classes
US health authorities on Thursday urged Americans to avoid cruise travel even if they are vaccinated, citing the surge in Covid-19 cases spurred by the Omicron variant.
“Avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status,” said a posting on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website that upgraded the travel notice on cruising to Level 4, the highest on its Covid risk scale.
“Even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants,” the notice said.
Between December 15 and 29, there were 5,013 Covid cases in US waters reported to the CDC, 31 times the level in the prior two weeks, according to an email from a CDC spokesperson.
ALSO READ:
The agency recommends mitigation steps that include getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing a mask in indoor settings and taking a test before gathering.
“The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting Covid-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose,” the CDC said.
The surge in fresh cases linked to the highly-transmissible Omicron variant has raised fresh challenges for the cruise industry, which resumed service in the United States this summer after being essentially dormant for more than a year.
On Thursday, Royal Caribbean modified or cancelled 16 destinations out of 331 due to the uptick in Covid cases. Shares of Royal Caribbean dipped 0.2 per cent in afternoon trading.
Shares of Carnival fell 0.6 per cent in early afternoon trading, while Norwegian Cruise Line dropped 1.5 per cent.
Many students wade through waist-deep water to head to neighbour's house for online classes
Hospitals brace for uptick in typhoid and bacterial infections; and mosquito- and fly-borne diseases like dengue
With 30% of their inventory damaged, owners of Preloved Books now face the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch
Five-time champions hold their nerve to claim victory by nine runs in the final over at Chandigarh
Natasha Abbas is a British civil engineer who co-founded North 51, a project management consultancy in Dubai
People who are assessing your qualifications can quickly tell the difference between an authentic life narrative and a third-party account
Arab-Canadian public speaking coach and author of The Million Dollar Speaker Maher Elusini on how to make your speech command value for time and money
The legendary Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis, who is all set to perform at the Dubai Opera next week, on music transcending cultural and language barriers