17 Covid Cases Found Aboard Cruise Ship in New Orleans

U.S.|A cruise vessel returns to New Orleans with 17 Covid cases aboard.

• Dec. 6, 2021, 8:26 a.m. ET

More than a twelve Covid cases person been identified connected a cruise vessel that docked successful New Orleans connected Sunday, wellness officials said, underscoring the obstacles the cruise-line manufacture continues to look aft much than a twelvemonth of restrictions and setbacks.

Ten radical aboard the Norwegian Breakaway, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line, had initially tested affirmative for Covid-19 connected Saturday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. But by Sunday, that fig had risen to 17, health officials said. That includes 1 “probable case” of the Omicron variant successful a unit member, they said.

The Norwegian Breakaway, carrying much than 3,200 people, departed from New Orleans connected Nov. 28 and made stops successful Belize, Honduras and Mexico earlier returning to Louisiana.

Norwegian Cruise Line had been pursuing the due quarantine and isolation protocols, wellness officials said, adding that each rider would beryllium required to instrumentality a Covid trial earlier disembarking.

The travelers who tested affirmative either traveled by idiosyncratic conveyance straight to their homes oregon were self-isolating, officials said successful a statement.

Norwegian Cruise Line has 1 of the astir stringent immunization policies successful the industry, requiring that each passengers, including children, and unit members instrumentality antigen tests and beryllium afloat vaccinated earlier boarding. Children who are not eligible for a vaccine are prohibited from traveling.

Norwegian Cruise Line did not respond to a petition for remark connected Monday.

At the commencement of the pandemic, outbreaks connected cruise ships that turned into large superspreader events drew headlines. Even aft the vaccination rollout gained momentum successful the United States successful April, allowing overmuch of the question manufacture to commencement up again, cruise ships remained docked successful ports, costing the manufacture billions of dollars successful losses each month.

By the summer, a comeback was successful afloat swing, with galore cruise companies reporting an summation successful bookings and a amended grip connected Covid-19 protocols. But a caller surge successful Covid cases in parts of the United States and in Europe, and increasing concerns implicit the Omicron variant, whitethorn dilatory that momentum.