JAKARTA - The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating the Royal Caribbean ship Odyssey of the Seas as it continues to sail with more than 50 COVID cases on board.
"The CDC is investigating the recent increase in COVID-19 cases identified in the Royal Caribbean International (RCI) Odyssey of the Seas," CDC spokesman David Daigle told USA TODAY Thursday, as quoted December 24.
"All cases appeared mild or asymptomatic. In addition, there were no hospitalizations related to COVID-19, medical evacuations, use of ventilators, or deaths from this ship," the CDC said.
Fifty-five passengers and crew tested positive for COVID-19 on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas, which departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday for an eight-night Caribbean voyage, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told USA TODAY Wednesday.
The health agency is working closely with Royal Caribbean and will 'consider many factors', before marking the ship as 'Red' status and being asked to return to port.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Odyssey of the Seas was classified as "Yellow" status meaning "CDC has investigated and the ship remains under surveillance."
The Odyssey of the Seas is currently sailing in the Caribbean and will return to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.
The ship, which briefly returned to port on Sunday to unload passengers with COVID-19, was carrying 3,587 passengers and 1,599 crew. With vaccinations required among all crew members and guests aged 12 and over, 95 percent of those on board have been fully vaccinated, according to Royal Caribbean.
"During the routine weekly testing of our fully vaccinated crew members, there were tests that came back positive for COVID-19," the company said in a statement shared by spokeswoman Lyan Sierra-Caro late Tuesday.
"Close contacts were quickly identified, and they were each immediately quarantined."
Passengers and crew who tested positive and their close contacts were quarantined, according to Royal Caribbean. Those who tested positive had mild or no symptoms and were monitored by medical teams on board.
On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean announced the cruise would not stop in Curacao or Aruba as planned.
"The decision was made jointly with the islands and with extreme caution, due to the current trend of cases in the destination community and having positive cases of COVID-19 on board, representing 1.1 percent of the community on board," according to a statement shared by Sierra-Caro.
Weekly testing of crew members is one of the protocols aboard Royal Caribbean, part of "a multi-layered set of comprehensive health and safety measures," the company explained. Other protocols include increased cleaning, vaccine requirements for passengers and crew, and the use of masks, among others.
"With the utmost care for the well-being of our guests and crew, adjustments have been made to the schedule of Odyssey of the Seas shows and activities aboard the December 18 sailing ship," Royal Caribbean said in a statement shared by Sierra-Caro.
To note, the CDC has been working with global public health experts and industry partners to study omicron, Daigle said.
"We are still studying how easily it spreads, the severity of the disease it causes, and how well the available vaccines and drugs work against it. Cruise travel is not without risk," he said.
The chances of contracting COVID-19 on a cruise ship are "high because the virus spreads easily between people in close quarters on board," Daigle said.
The CDC advises people who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to avoid cruise ship travel, suggesting travelers get booster shots if eligible.
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