The State Department says people shouldn't go on cruises amid the coronavirus outbreak

Kelly McLaughlin

Mar 9, 2020, 20:13 IST

The State Department says people shouldn't go on cruises amid the coronavirus outbreak

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises' Grand Princess ship.

The US State Department has advised against cruise ship travel in a new warning about the novel coronavirus.
The State Department said elderly people and those "with underlying health conditions" should not go on cruises because they could be at an "increased risk for more severe disease."
"Cruise ship passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added in its own warning.
The US has 554 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 21 deaths from the virus as of Monday morning.
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The US State Department advised on Sunday that US citizens should avoid traveling on cruise ships as the novel coronavirus continues to spread globally.

The State Department said that those "with underlying health conditions" should not travel by cruise ships, citing advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"CDC notes that older adults and travelers with underlying health issues should avoid situations that put them at increased risk for more severe disease. This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships," the state department's warning said.

As of Monday, the United States reported 554 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 21 deaths from the virus.

The CDC backed the State Department's warning in its own cruise ship guidelines, saying older travelers and those with underlying health issues should avoid such travel.

"Sustained community spread of respiratory illness caused by COVID-19 has been reported in many countries," the CDC said. "Cruise ship passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19."

The CDC said anyone who has been on a cruise ship in the last two weeks should monitor their health for 14 days.

Cruise ships have been hit with coronavirus in the last several weeks, including the Grand Princess, off the coast of California, the Regal Princess, off the coast of Florida.

Worldwide, there are more than 110,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

"In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented strict screening procedures that have denied port entry rights to ships and prevented passengers from disembarking," the State Department wrote. "In some cases, local authorities have permitted disembarkation but subjected passengers to local quarantine procedures. While the US government has evacuated some cruise ship passengers in recent weeks, repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for US citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities."