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The State Department on Sunday warned Americans to stay off cruises amid the coronavirus outbreak — after hundreds of Americans were sickened on at least two recent cruises last month.
“U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship,” the State Dept. said in a statement. “CDC notes that older adults and travelers with underlying health issues should avoid situations that put them at increased risk for more severe disease.”
There’s an increased risk of catching the potentially deadly disease on a cruise ship, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To curb the spread of COVID-19, many countries have denied entry to ships and prevented passengers from disembarking. In some cases, passengers were allowed to get off ships, but were placed under strict quarantine procedures.
The US government last month evacuated about 300 passengers from a quarantined Diamond Princess cruise in Japan, but the State Dept. said that “repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for US citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities.”
Passengers on another coronavirus-hit Princess Cruises ship that was stuck off California’s northern coast for over a week finally docked in Oakland on Sunday. At least 21 sick passengers will be hospitalized there.
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