The CDC said cruise ships «are often settings for outbreaks of infectious diseases» and should be avoided during the pandemic
By Minyvonne Burke
More than 800 people who traveled on the two ill-fated cruise ships that were quarantined tested positive for the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its weekly report.
Ten of the people who had been on the ships, the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, have died. The CDC said in the report that people should avoid traveling on cruise ships during the coronavirus pandemic.
«Outbreaks of COVID-19 on cruise ships pose a risk for rapid spread of disease beyond the voyage,» according to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Monday. «Aggressive efforts are required to contain spread.»
Among the more than 3,700 passengers and crew aboard the Diamond Princess, 712 became infected with the coronavirus. The ship was put on temporary quarantine after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus.
More than 60 passengers on one Grand Princess voyage stayed on the ship to embark on a second voyage. The CDC said many of the travelers from the first trip tested positive for the coronavirus and passed it to people on the second trip.
A total of 78 cases were confirmed on the Grand Princess, the CDC said.
