As Cruise Prepares To Drop Anchor From Galveston, Two Cruise Liner Guests Tests Positive For COVID-19
Galveston, Texas – On Thursday, the official declared that passengers on the first cruise to depart from North America since the outbreak began screened positive with COVID-19.
The passengers on board the Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Millennium cruise ship had to submit proof of immunization and a negative COVID-19 screening just 72 hours before sailing, according to a press release.
During the obligatory end-of-cruise screening, two individuals who were sharing a stateroom on the Celebrity Millennium screened positive for COVID-19, according to the cruise company. As per the cruise line company, the two of them do not have any symptoms and are therefore under the observation of medical experts.
On July 3, Carnival Cruises will embark on its first journey ever since the outbreak, and the corporation claims that its COVID-19 planning process would keep guests protected.
“Our Have Fun. Be Safe. Guidelines for cruises from Galveston incorporate guidance from the CDC and Texas officials,” the company’s COVID-19 protocols detail.
The Cruise’s Prevention Strategy Can Be Trusted On
Carnival’s prevention strategy needs guests aged 12 and up to show proof of immunization, with the final dosage required at least 14 days before boarding. They claim that their mitigation approach will potentially prevent the spread of the disease.
Doctors agreed on Friday that cruise ship mitigation strategies may be believed in general.
Dr. Annamaria Macaluso Davidson, Vice President of Medical Operations at Memorial Hermann Hospital said that they know these types of precautions are very rare. Two individuals on a cruise testing positive for COVID-19, according to Davidson, aren’t surprising.
She also added that their viral load will be low and the vaccination is protecting them in the way it is designed to. It prevents them from infecting others with the infection.
Dr. Wesley Long, associate professor of pathology and genomic medicines at Houston Methodist Hospital, also agreed with Davidson.
Long said that it’s a great step taken by the cruise line company.
Long cautioned, however, that individuals planning a cruise should be doing their study beforehand. Guests should first check their ship’s policies, as well as procedures and mitigation strategies at international ports, he advised.
Governor Abbott’s Legislation Enacted This Week May “Rock The Boat”
While experts underlined the significance of cruise lines adhering to CDC guidelines, Governor Abbott’s legislation enacted into effect this week may cause some turbulence.
Abbott declared that he will implement legislation prohibiting any Texas organization from obtaining vaccination certificates or documentation.
On Twitter, Abbott wrote that Texas is completely free of any constraints, constraints, or obligations.
“We are evaluating the legislation recently signed into law in Texas regarding vaccine information. The law provides exceptions for when a business is implementing COVID protocols by federal law which is consistent with our plans to comply with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s guidelines,” the company wrote in a statement.
The Bottom Line
However, corporate law experts argue that mandating guests to be completely immunized before boarding is little more than a precautionary measure; it also provides protection.
This is a mitigation technique, according to Dietrich von Biedenfeld, an assistant professor of Business Law at the University of Houston Downtown. This is very essential when people get into a lawsuit and ask, “Did you take all reasonable steps to prevent this?”
So, Von Biedenfeld believes the cruise line is looking into its legal alternatives.
Carnival Vista, a Carnival Cruise Line ship, will leave Galveston on July 3rd. On July 15, the Carnival Breeze will take
