The Covid-19 outbreak occurred on a South Florida-based cruise ship for the third time this week, as the number of coronavirus cases in Florida reached its highest level since the outbreak began.
An unspecified number of Carnival Freedom passengers and crew members were infected, so the ship was denied access to Bonaire and Aruba, Carnival said in a statement.
The ship had 2,497 passengers and 1,112 crew and was due to return to Miami on Sunday following an eight-day voyage. Passengers had to be vaccinated and tested before departing last Saturday, according to Carnival.
“Carnival Freedom adheres to all the rules and has a small amount on the board alone due to the existing Covid testing,” the statement said. “Our agreements anticipate this possibility and we are implementing it as necessary to protect the health and safety of our guests and staff.”
Ashley Peterson, a sailor, posted on Twitter a picture of a December 22 letter from a ship captain apologizing for not being able to stop in Aruba and Bonaire. The letter said commuters would receive $ 100 per room on onboard credit, as well as a refund for scheduled travel.
It was the third break this week affecting Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise ships from Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
At the time, Florida had 31,758 new cases in Covid-19 on Friday, breaking the record for most cases in one day since the outbreak began in the US in March 2020, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new record is inspired by the spread of the new omicron by Sunshine State.
The previous highest number of cases was last August, at the height of a separate delta wave in Florida, where 27,802 cases were reported.
The Covid-19 outbreak occurred on a South Florida-based cruise ship for the third time this week, as the number of coronavirus cases in Florida reached its highest level since the outbreak began.
An unspecified number of Carnival Freedom passengers and crew members were infected, so the ship was denied access to Bonaire and Aruba, Carnival said in a statement.
The ship had 2,497 passengers and 1,112 crew and was due to return to Miami on Sunday following an eight-day voyage. Passengers had to be vaccinated and tested before departing last Saturday, according to Carnival.