iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Monday will mark one year of the Gaza war, with thousands killed
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Americans told to avoid cruise travel, even if vaccinated
Between December 15 and 29, there were 5,013 Covid cases in US waters reported to the CDC
The Norwegian-flagged cruise ship Viking Jupiter, with a thousand people on board, including several diagnosed with Covid-19, remains docked at the Argentine port of Ushuaia. — AFP
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.
More news from
More than 150 armed personnel and dozens of government forestry officials were deployed to capture the wolves last month
Largest cryptocurrency is down 4.8% this month so far
Two elephants also drowned in rapidly rising flood waters in north of popular tourist hotspot Chiang Mai
All eyes are on the mayoral vote in Sao Paulo where three candidates are running neck and neck, setting the stage for a second-round runoff on October 27
Family credit in Arab countries accounted for 38% of total private sector credit at the end of 2023
Ian McConville was summoned for his country's repeated bias, including on Iran's response to what it called 'the Zionist regime,' meaning Israel
Project is already 60% complete