by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:30 AM ET, Tue March 10, 2020
After the cruise industry became a focal point of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, Vice President Mike Pence and his staff are waiting on a proposal from cruise lines on how they will better protect American travelers.
The government is reportedly considering expanding crackdowns on cruise ship travel.
According to Politico.com, members of President Donald Trump's administration have considered the idea of banning citizens from sailing on cruise ships "for the duration of the crisis" and even possibly deny the vessels access to U.S. waters.
Vice President Pence met with executives from cruise lines in the U.S. Saturday and stressed the importance of stopping the spread of coronavirus. The companies immediately implemented updated measures to protect passengers, including extensive overhauls to ship cleaning procedures.
The White House is now waiting on a proposal from the cruise lines to protect travelers while still sailing the world. Based on the latest health information and the changes implemented already, officials will determine a plan of action for the cruise industry.
"We are expecting a proposal tomorrow," Vice President Pence said Monday night, via Politico. "We made it very clear that we need cruise lines to be safer."
One of the members of the coronavirus task force is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci, who said people that planned cruises in the coming weeks should continue with their sailings, according to Forbes.
"I think if you're a healthy, young person, there's no reason, if you want to go on a cruise ship, not to go on a cruise ship," Fauci said. "The fact is that if you have the conditions that I've been speaking about … an individual who has an underlying condition, particularly an elderly person that has underlying conditions, I would recommend strongly that they do not go on a cruise ship."
On Sunday, the U.S. State Department issued an advisory recommending Americans not travel via cruise ship due to "increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment."
The government's recommendation is not a restriction, and travelers are still choosing to take cruises to destinations not impacted by the coronavirus. In 2018, more than 13 million American passengers sailed on a cruise ship.
"Given the importance of the cruise industry to travel advisors, ASTA is gravely concerned about the impact of this advisory on our members' businesses," ASTA President & CEO Zane Kerby said in a statement.
"As we shared with the White House before the advisories were issued, the vast majority of cruise trips go off without a hitch, and government actions should reflect that fact and be targeted and temporary," Kerby continued. "We hope this advisory lasts days, not weeks."
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