Two passengers test positive for COVID on fully vaccinated cruise [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Two guests tested positive for COVID-19 on board the ‘Millennium’ cruise ship, Celebrity Cruises announced.
• All board crews and passengers had proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination.
• The cruise company is planning to have its first post-pandemic trip outside the US this month.

Celebrity Cruises announced in a statement that two individuals on board of their fully vaccinated cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19.

According to reports, the pair boarded the ship Millennium, the first-ever commercial travel to sail in North America since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Per the statement, the two guests were asymptomatic and underwent self-quarantine as the ship’s crew initiated a contact tracing scheme.

All people aboard, whether they are passengers or crew, presented proof that they obtained the vaccine shots.

“All guests on Celebrity Millennium were required to show proof of vaccination as well as a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before sailing from St. Maarten this past Saturday,” the statement said, adding that the current situation “demonstrates that our rigorous health and safety protocols work to protect our crew, guests and the communities we visit.”

According to USA Today, the Millennium was in Curacao on Thursday and will arrive back at St. Maarten on Saturday. Onboard, the ship had two doctors, and 11 nurses with available isolation cabins, as reported by Good Morning America.

The cruise company announced that it was planning to have its first out-of-country sail from Florida, at the end of June. With a fully vaccinated crew on board, the Celebrity Edge ship will depart from Fort Lauderdale, and will require adult guests (17 and above) to secure proof of vaccinations.

The policy, however, would likely be complicated by the contrasting local laws and federal guidelines.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL.) prohibited the use of vaccine passports and denounced the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which states that ships should have 98 percent vaccinated crew members and 95 percent fully vaccinated passengers.

Source: New York Post