Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis Where schools are back in session, and where kids still learn virtually Larry Hogan’s balancing act Biden takes sales stall to swing-state Ohio MORE (R) On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shot into the air, calling their latest guidelines for interrupting commercial cruises to November “baseless.”
DeSantis raised the importance of the cruise industry to Florida’s economy during a roundtable meeting and called on the CDC to re-evaluate its no-sail order, which the agency stated should remain in effect until November this year.
“The cruise industry is vital to our state’s economy, and holding it down until November would be devastating for the men and women who depend on the cruise lines to support themselves,” said the Florida governor. “I urge the CDC to immediately revoke this baseless injunction not to sail so that Floridians can return to work in this industry.”
According to a September 2020 report from the Federal Maritime Commission, Fox News reported that Florida’s revenue loss from the cruise industry shutdown during the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic totaled nearly $ 3.2 billion and resulted in the loss of nearly 49,500 jobs.
Although the CDC announced on Wednesday that its order will remain in effect until Nov. 1, despite the Cruise Lines International Association’s request to cancel the order earlier, the agency stated that it has its current guidelines for cruising.
“Returning to passenger cruises is a tiered approach to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading. Details for the next phase of the CSO are currently under review by the various agencies,” the agency told Fox News.