One fully vaccinated passenger and 26 crew members aboard Carnival cruise ship test positive for COVID-19 as it makes a stop in Belize after setting sail from Texas
Twenty-seven fully vaccinated people aboard a Carnival cruise tested positive for COVID-19 just before the ship made a stop in Belize City this week.
The positive cases were among 26 crew members and one passenger on the Carnival Vista, which is carrying over 1,400 crew and nearly 3,000 passengers, the Belize Tourism Board said in a statement. The ship arrived in Belize City on Wednesday.
All 27 people were vaccinated, had mild or no symptoms, and were in isolation, according to the statement. The tourism board said 99.98% of the ship's crew was vaccinated, as well as 96.5% of its passengers.
The Washington Post reported Carnival said it announced last week that there were positive cases on board, but the cruise line did not not give specific numbers. The ship left from Galveston, Texas.
Carnival's cruises were shutdown in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic
The ship departed from its port in Galveston, Texas, before arrival in Belize on Wednesday
The cruise ship worked with Belize's Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations office to handle the positive cases, USA Today reports.
All passengers were asked to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, and those without proof were subject to 'random testing' by Belize's Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Some passengers were also allowed to disembark and go on shore excursions as scheduled.
The CDC said it has investigated the ship and that it 'remains under observation.'
Carnival is requiring passengers to be vaccinated, though there are exceptions for children and people with medical issues.
The cruise line said in a statement August 4 that passengers must wear a mask in certain indoor areas, and provide a negative COVID test within three days of embarkment for cruises beginning August 14.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website that it had investigated the Carnival Vista and the ship remains under observation.
Cruise ships were the first super-spreaders when the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020.
The enclosed environment and contact between travelers from different countries were main factors contributing to the severity of the outbreak.
The CDC reported that more than 800 confirmed cases occurred on just three cruise ship voyages in the U.S. during the initial weeks of the pandemic.
The ship is carrying 1,300 crew members and 3,000 passengers, all who had to provide negative COVID-19 test results to board and re-enter the ship
The company was able to resume its cruises earlier this year. Pictured, Carnival Vista setting sail out of Miami Beach in time for a viewing of a pink super moon in April
Ocean voyages were suspended in March last year as the pandemic cut a devastating path around the world, with hubs like Florida losing an estimated $5.6 billion.
The cruise industry is hugely important to the Florida economy, generating yearly revenues of $9 billion and providing jobs for 160,000 people, according to the Cruise Lines International Association .
Ships started sailing again earlier this year after the Centers for Disease and Prevention released comprehensive guidelines, which included a fully vaccinated crew and requirements for everyone over 16 to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
Carnival hit international waters again in July with its weeklong cruises from Galveston to Roatan, Belize and Cozumel.
Industry analysts anticipate a slow road to recover for cuisse lines following a recent surge of COVID-19 cases and the business's international nature.
“We think the cruise industry will be one of the slowest sub-sectors to recover from Covid-19. Cruising needs not just international travel to return, but ports to reopen, authorities to permit cruising, and the return of customer confidence,” said Morgan Stanley analysts Jamie Rollo told NBC. “Risks are rising that further travel restrictions are imposed as the delta variant spreads and we approach the winter flu season.”
Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line all saw their stocks drop this week.
Norwegian Cruise Lines has scored a win over temporarily blocking a Florida law banning cruise companies from asking passengers for proof of vaccination
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis had signed into law the 'vaccine passport' ban
In June, two passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean tested positive for COVID-19 after it set sail in the Bahamas.
In May, Florida Gov. Ron De Santis banned cruise lines departing from ports there from requiring vaccine passports for passengers.
Norwegian Cruise Line battled the governor in court and challenged the vaccine passport ban, and a judge temporarily blocked the Florida law.
The cruise line argued that the law is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment's free speech guarantee. But the state's attorney said the law's aim is to prevent discrimination against passengers who don't get the shot.
A Norwegian cruise is set to depart from Miami on August 15 - the company´s first voyage from Florida since the pandemic halted its operations.
The number of deaths from coronavirus in the US since the start of the pandemic has surpassed 619,000