White House blocked February extension of CDC 'no sail' cruise ship order: reports

Source: The Hill | September 30, 2020 | Justine Coleman

The White House blocked a February extension of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “no sail” order for cruise ships, The New York Times and Axios reported.

CDC Director Robert Redfield reportedly recommended an extension of the current order, which is set to expire on Wednesday, during a coronavirus task force meeting on Tuesday. 

But a senior health official told the Times and sources told Axios that Redfield was ultimately overruled as the administration plans to extend the order until Oct. 31 and then allow ships to sail. 

Public health officials have reportedly said the rejection of Redfield’s recommendation is politically motivated to avoid upsetting the cruise industry in Florida, a swing state ahead of the presidential election that a number of polls show is a neck-and-neck race between Trump and Joe Biden.

The administration’s timeline aligns with what the cruise industry came up with in its voluntary plan, which former Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt (R) and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb led. The industry plan calls for a gradual return to normal with its first trips taking crew members acting as guests and testing guests twice — before arrival and before boarding, according to the Times. 

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