The number of cruise ships under Covid monitoring by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection has swelled to 89.
The fast-spreading Omicron strain has led to a sharp rise in infections on ships with many being denied access at foreign ports.
The CDC has now identified 89 cruise ships with Covid-19 cases or related issues, and almost all have triggered the ‘yellow ‘tier threshold for a formal investigation.
The CDC said 86 ships have crew or passenger positive cases.
The agency said it is currently looking at 38 ships while another 48 ships remain ‘under surveillance.’
It includes ships operated by Disney, MSC Cruises, Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises.
A CDC spokesperson said that the risk of getting infected remains ‘high’ and a cruise vacation should not be considered a ‘zero-risk activity.’
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal this week called on cruise lines to stop ships from sailing, and health agencies to tighten restrictions.
Cruise ships are ‘repeating recent history as petri dishes of Covid-19 infection,’ Blumenthal said.
