CDC Investigating ‘Highly Vaccinated’ Carnival Cruise Ship

Another Carnival Cruise ship is facing a CDC investigation after the company reported at least nine cases of COVID-19.

While Resist the Mainstream was unable to immediately learn the exact number of cases, the minimum is defined by the CDC. The health agency’s Cruise Ship Color Status program tracks 91 cruise ships for reported cases of COVID-19 or people with similar symptoms.

The color-coding system was designed to give travelers information to make informed decisions before choosing to travel, according to the agency’s website.  Color status designations indicate the number of COVID-19 cases reported for each ship in the program, whether an investigation is needed, additional public health measures a ship is taking, and whether a ship has opted out of the program.

All 91 cruise ships participating in the program reportedly have at least 90 percent vaccination rates for passengers and crew members. The threshold for the CDC to investigate a liner for COVID is 0.3 percent of persons aboard the vessel. The Carnival Spirit can carry 2,124 passengers and 930 crew members, according to the company. The CDC threshold for a ship with 3,000 aboard would be nine confirmed cases.

The surprise is not that the CDC reports 62 of the 91 cruise ships have been lumped into the “orange” color category that signifies an ongoing investigation of a coronavirus outbreak. The real surprise is that 15 of the large passenger-carrying liners reported zero cases of COVID-19 and another 14 reported fewer than 0.3 percent aboard contracted COVID-19.

The Carnival Spirit departed Miami April 17 and arrived in Seattle last week, according to a report by The Epoch Times. The report added Carnival claimed everyone on board the Spirit — all guests and crew — was fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Carnival’s website informs prospective passengers that everyone has to be vaccinated and submit a negative test result before checking in.

According to the report, Carnival implemented extra precautions after receiving the report of COVID-19 cases. “In addition, all guests who were scheduled to continue on with the ship’s next cruise to Alaska were tested and any guests and their traveling companions who tested positive were disembarked.”