U.S. State Department urges travelers to avoid cruise ships

The State Department urges all U.S. citizens to avoid taking a cruise ship over increased concerns of spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus.

There are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Louisiana.

The State Department issued the warning in a statement saying in part:

U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship.  CDC notes an increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment. In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented strict screening procedures that have denied port entry rights to ships and prevented passengers from disembarking.  In some cases, local authorities have permitted disembarkation but subjected passengers to local quarantine procedures.  While the U.S. government has evacuated some cruise ship passengers in recent weeks, repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities. 

You can read the full statement here.

U.S. citizens, especially with underlying conditions, should not travel by cruise ship. #CDC notes increased risk of #COVID19 on cruises. Many countries have implemented screening procedures, denied port entry rights to ships and prevented disembarking. https://t.co/jh93gZTkpC pic.twitter.com/jI6S0UceVg

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