CDC told Bryan no additional Phase 4 cruise guidance was planned

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Maritime Unit told Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. it did not plan to issue additional documents for Phase 4 of the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, according to a Government House statement published Aug. 22, 2021.

The statement said Bryan had requested technical instructions before the territory's first cruise ship call since pandemic-related suspensions. Celebrity Edge made that first call on July 6, 2021. Government House also said Celebrity Edge called at Crown Bay on St. Thomas on Aug. 17, 2021, and Celebrity Equinox called at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility on St. Croix on Aug. 18, 2021.

According to the statement, the U.S. Virgin Islands, working with the Virgin Islands Port Authority and the Department of Health, had established binding protocols for cruise vessels visiting the territory. Those requirements included full COVID-19 vaccination for guests age 12 and older for a ship to be allowed entry, a minimum 85% vaccination rate among guests and crew unless the Department of Health approved otherwise, and negative COVID-19 test results within five days of arrival for disembarking passengers age 2 and older who did not provide proof of vaccination.

The protocols also required positive passengers and identified close contacts to remain isolated on the ship, advance access for the Department of Health to vaccination cards for validation, and testing requirements for certain emergency contractors. The statement said cruise operators also were required to report vaccination-status discrepancies to the Department of Health and obtain approval for port entry in such cases.

In the response cited by Government House, the CDC said it would instead update online documents to reflect changes to quarantine, testing, color-coding status and lessons learned from simulated voyages.

The CDC letter also said that as of July 13, 2021, its Maritime Unit had received port agreements from cruise operators representing 11 brands, requests to conduct simulated cruises for 13 ships, and applications for COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificates for 17 vessels.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-receives-response-from-cdc-about-cruise-ship-guidelines/