Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Covid-19 cases on cruise ships increased 30 times in just two weeks due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
The agency also warned Americans against cruise ship travel even if fully-vaccinated.
Still, the CDC’s conditional sailing order won’t likely be extended further Walensky told a Senate Committee hearing.
The conditional sailing order was introduced over a year ago and expires on 15 January.
Instead, the CDC will oversee a voluntary conditional sailing order program, working with cruise lines.
"The cruise ship industries will continue to understand that this is a really safe practice for those industries."
The conditional sailing order sets specific safety procedures like mandatory testing and vaccination thresholds.
Walensky praised the cruise industry for its collaboration.
"The industry has stepped up and is now interested in doing and exceeding the compliance with the [CSO] without the order even necessarily needing to be in place."
