CDC's Color coding System for Cruise Ships

[npcl]

It looks like CDC has updated its guidance and now has a system for classifying cruise ships as Green, Yellow and Red.  Those ships that are classified as being Green can have their crew use commercial transportation. While this is for the current no sail period, it may give some insight into what testing, monitoring, and reporting that the CDC will be requiring on ships once the order is lifted

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/06/03/coronavirus-cdc-creates-new-color-coded-system-mark-covid-19-ships/3133193001/

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/management/interim-guidance-no-sail-order.html

 

This guidance and the commercial transportation attestation are only applicable to cruise ship operators with a complete and accurate No Sail Order response plan for crew management and for their ships that have met CDC’s criteria for a “Green” ship. Cruise company officials must sign an acknowledgment of the completeness and accuracy of their response plan. Status of ships is contingent upon weekly submission of the Enhanced Data Collection (EDC) during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Green Ship Criteria

• No confirmed cases of COVID-19 or COVID-like illness for 28 days, as determined by a qualified medical professional.
• If the ship received ship-to-ship transfers within the past 28 days, crew must have come from a ship that had no confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-like illness within the 28 days before the transfer occurred.
• If land-based crew embarked, they were immediately quarantined for 14 days upon embarking the ship.

Note: To maintain Green status, ships must submit a weekly EDC form to CDC. Failure to submit, changes ship status to Red. Green ship status means that CDC believes the ship is currently unaffected by COVID-19 based on information provided by the cruise ship operator.

Yellow Ship Criteria

• Previously designated Green, but now has 1 or more COVID-like illness cases pending COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
  • If PCR positive, status changes to Red (must sign attestation again after meeting criteria again)
  • If PCR negative, status goes back to Green
  • If crew with COVID-like illness are not tested by PCR or if results are not available within 1 week of the case being reported, status changes to Red.
• If the ship received ship-to-ship transfers within the past 28 days, crew must have come from a ship that had no confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-like illness within the 28 days before the transfer occurred. If not, status changes to Red.
• If land-based crew embarked, they were immediately quarantined for 14 days upon embarking the ship. If not, status changes to Red.

Red Ship Criteria

• One or more cases of confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-like Illness within the past 28 days, or
• Ship received ship-to-ship transfers from a ship that had confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-like illness within the 28 days before the transfer occurred, or
• If land-based crew embarked, they were not immediately quarantined for 14 days upon embarking the ship, or
• During the past 28 days, the ship missed one or more weekly submission of the EDC form.

[franktown]

That was published over a week ago and concerns color coding for ships during the No Sail Order and deals with crew.

[npcl]

32 minutes ago, franktown said:

That was published over a week ago and concerns color coding for ships during the No Sail Order and deals with crew.

Yes I know, however have not seen it posted on CC.  There have been several discussions on crew departures, so an agreement that would allow commercial transportation for some ships would seem to be pertinent.

 

Also it does give some insight with the reporting requirements for the ships, also in the same reference.  The enhanced reporting requirements behind the ship status, may give some insight to what the CDC will continue to require once passengers are on board.  This would provide much more transparency than demonstrated by the cruise lines prior to the shutdown, when they have been rather obscure when it came to illness on board.

 

Surveillance for COVID-19

• As an interim replacement to the Maritime Conveyance Cumulative Influenza/Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) Form for each international voyage, CDC requires weekly submission of the “Enhanced Data Collection (EDC) During COVID-19 Pandemic Form” during suspended cruise ship operations. This EDC Form will be used to conduct surveillance for COVID-19 among crew who remain on board cruise ships using cumulative reports of acute respiratory illness (ARI), influenza-like illness (ILI), and pneumonia, and other clinical indicators.
• Access to the online EDC form will be provided to cruise lines by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) or CDC. Cruise lines that do not receive CLIA’s email should contact CDC (email eocevent349@cdc.gov).
• In addition to this weekly surveillance via the online EDC form, cruise ship operators should continue to report to USCG via Advance Notice of Vessel Arrival (ANOA), which constitutes the most timely source of illness information when the cruise ship is within waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
• Surveillance onboard should include routine testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection, including intermittent testing of a random sample of symptomatic and asymptomatic crew members.  Additional information on testing can be found on CDC’s website.

CDC may publish these surveillance data on its website to inform the public.

[Roberto256]

2 hours ago, npcl said:

 

• If land-based crew embarked, they were immediately quarantined for 14 days upon embarking the ship. If not, status changes to Red.

 

 

Thank you for posting.    I wonder if the 14-day quarantine will be ongoing for new crew joining, once the ships resume sailing...

I'm sure crew will hate it, and I don't think princess has enough room to house idle crew.

 

[franktown]

2 hours ago, npcl said:

Yes I know, however have not seen it posted on CC.  There have been several discussions on crew departures, so an agreement that would allow commercial transportation for some ships would seem to be pertinent.

 

Also it does give some insight with the reporting requirements for the ships, also in the same reference.  The enhanced reporting requirements behind the ship status, may give some insight to what the CDC will continue to require once passengers are on board.  This would provide much more transparency than demonstrated by the cruise lines prior to the shutdown, when they have been rather obscure when it came to illness on board.

 

Surveillance for COVID-19

• As an interim replacement to the Maritime Conveyance Cumulative Influenza/Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) Form for each international voyage, CDC requires weekly submission of the “Enhanced Data Collection (EDC) During COVID-19 Pandemic Form” during suspended cruise ship operations. This EDC Form will be used to conduct surveillance for COVID-19 among crew who remain on board cruise ships using cumulative reports of acute respiratory illness (ARI), influenza-like illness (ILI), and pneumonia, and other clinical indicators.
• Access to the online EDC form will be provided to cruise lines by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) or CDC. Cruise lines that do not receive CLIA’s email should contact CDC (email eocevent349@cdc.gov).
• In addition to this weekly surveillance via the online EDC form, cruise ship operators should continue to report to USCG via Advance Notice of Vessel Arrival (ANOA), which constitutes the most timely source of illness information when the cruise ship is within waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
• Surveillance onboard should include routine testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection, including intermittent testing of a random sample of symptomatic and asymptomatic crew members.  Additional information on testing can be found on CDC’s website.

CDC may publish these surveillance data on its website to inform the public.

Fully agree with your observations.  

[PrincessDano]

We’re using the same color coding when screening patients before coming into hospital for tests/procedures... just a tad different with regards to questions re symptoms and previous travel 

 

Diane

[Av8tor]

On 6/11/2020 at 12:06 PM, Roberto256 said:

 

Thank you for posting.    I wonder if the 14-day quarantine will be ongoing for new crew joining, once the ships resume sailing...

I'm sure crew will hate it, and I don't think princess has enough room to house idle crew.

 

 

Once sailings resume, I don't THINK the CDC would require quarantine for just boarding crew and not boarding passengers also.  That wouldn't make sense, but then again many things the government does doesn't make sense!

 

I wouldn't sail as a passenger if I had to quarantine for the entire cruise 🥺

[rkacruiser]

There was supposed to be a meeting in Miami on Thursday with representatives from CDC and the cruise lines.  Any news on the outcome of that meeting?

[npcl]

36 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

There was supposed to be a meeting in Miami on Thursday with representatives from CDC and the cruise lines.  Any news on the outcome of that meeting?

I doubt you will hear anything from that meeting.  From what I have heard the meeting is mostly still dealing with crew disembarkation.

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, npcl said:

I doubt you will hear anything from that meeting.  From what I have heard the meeting is mostly still dealing with crew disembarkation.

I am perplexed. The CDC is supposed to be protecting the US from having diseases brought in (according to many posts by chengkp75). So what is it their business how crew members are repatriated to FOREIGN countries?

[harkinmr]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I am perplexed. The CDC is supposed to be protecting the US from having diseases brought in (according to many posts by chengkp75). So what is it their business how crew members are repatriated to FOREIGN countries?

It is their business because it involves the transport of crew members through US ports to repatriate as well as transfers of crew ship-to-ship at or through those same ports within US waters.   That activity could and would impact the US population.

Edited June 13, 2020 by harkinmr

[john_galt]

Doesn't sound like much progress.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqWzrVAPjeg

 

[npcl]

7 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I am perplexed. The CDC is supposed to be protecting the US from having diseases brought in (according to many posts by chengkp75). So what is it their business how crew members are repatriated to FOREIGN countries?

When on board ship the crew members are outside of the US.  

 

There are two places where the CDC has actual enforcement powers as far as disease prevention are concerned, at the US boarder and at state lines (if in their opinion insufficient action is being taken by local government.  Action taken inside of any state is up to the state, and while the CDC can advise they have no authority to direct.

 

So for a cruise line crew member to disembark and return to their home country and wish to do so through the US, then CDC has authority.  If the cruise ships wish to go else where then they would be outside of the CDC's authority.

 

So far 8345 crew members have disembarked through the US under the CDC guidelines.

[npcl]

2 hours ago, john_galt said:

Doesn't sound like much progress.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqWzrVAPjeg

 

The intent of the meeting was to discuss the crew disembarkation.  We do not know what the details of that meeting, but than again neither does the guy in the video.

 

As stated back in the April 15 No sail order listed in the federal registry the CDC had defined that the CLIA had provided a framework on this topic on April 3rd.  But that the framework needed more details as defined below.  We do not know what information has gone between the CLIA and the CDC.  The only information released has been the CDC modification to guidance early this month that provides the RED, YELLOW, GREEN classification system that enables crew from a GREEN ship to fly home commercial. Apparently they have also been approving ship COVID-19 response plans.

 

I do not expect the discussions to turn to plans for passengers until there is full agreement on plans for crew during the shutdown.

 

Critical Need for Further Cooperation and Response Planning

CDC and other Federal agencies engaged with CLIA representatives in early March. On March 13, 2020, CLIA and their associated members announced that all member cruise lines would voluntarily suspend cruise ship operations from U.S. ports of call for 30 days as public health officials and the Federal government continue to address COVID-19. Several cruise lines followed CLIA's example and similarly voluntarily suspended operations.

CLIA also drafted a response plan, “On Course: Cruise Industry COVID-19 Response and Protocols” (hereinafter, “On Course”). The plan proposed “industry management of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 without burden on the U.S. government.” ^[7] CLIA stated that it could implement this plan within 7 days.^[8] In response to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, “industry would be responsible for transporting the [exposed or infected] individuals in appropriate buses, cars, or ambulances.” ^[9] Furthermore, CLIA averred that, “contracts for predesignated facilities though Global Rescue [a firm with purported experience and expertise in mass medical incidents] [would] receive COVID-19 patients, including arrangements [that] will be executed following plan approval.” ^[10] CLIA further stated that it had planned for “multiple redundancies” in its response efforts. Specifically, “CLIA commits to making five ships available for temporary housing purposes. They would be tasked with sailing to any affected ship and taking affected guests and crew aboard for the self-isolation period.” ^[11]

 

 

On April 3, 2020, CLIA drafted a new response plan, “Framework: For Cruise Industry Care of Crew and other Persons on Board while Ships Remain Idle during the Global COVID-19 Pandemic” (hereinafter, “Framework”). The Framework plan must go further to reduce industry reliance on government and shoreside hospital resources. For example, while the Framework states that a ship will maintain its medical staff, it must provide further details of how the industry will provide for the acute care needs of the critically ill. The Framework must also address industry assistance to COVID-19 affected cruise ships by deploying additional ships for cohort separation of those who are exposed, infected, and in need of hospitalization. Furthermore, laboratory sampling and testing, onboard mitigation and prevention strategies, disinfection protocols, personal protective equipment, repatriation of foreign nationals, and onshore transportation, including through contract medivac helicopter, must be addressed in further detail, including how the industry proposes to acquire, staff, and operationalize this plan, with minimal burden on Federal, State, or local government entities or the healthcare system.

 

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, john_galt said:

Doesn't sound like much progress.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqWzrVAPjeg

 

 

Disappointing to me as well.  But, I think the posts by npcl helped to explain what may be taking place that the public does not see.  

[Earthworm Jim]

6 hours ago, harkinmr said:

It is their business because it involves the transport of crew members through US ports to repatriate as well as transfers of crew ship-to-ship at or through those same ports within US waters.   That activity could and would impact the US population.

 

But the requirement was direct flights home to the crew member's final destination. For example, the cruise line couldn't put all their Filipino crew on the same flight to Manila, and then have them take a second flight to whichever of the many islands that comprise the Philippines each crew member is from.

 

Why is it the CDC's business what goes on once the flight leaves the US for Manila? To me is seems it would be up to the Philippine authorities (in my example) to decide whether they would allow the crew members to fly into Manila and take a second flight home. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Earthworm Jim

[ontheweb]

Exactly. and that is why I originally asked what business does the CDC have in interfering with the repatriation of crew members to foreign lands.

[harkinmr]

55 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

But the requirement was direct flights home to the crew member's final destination. For example, the cruise line couldn't put all their Filipino crew on the same flight to Manila, and then have them take a second flight to whichever of the many islands that comprise the Philippines each crew member is from.

 

Why is it the CDC's business what goes on once the flight leaves the US for Manila? To me is seems it would be up to the Philippine authorities (in my example) to decide whether they would allow the crew members to fly into Manila and take a second flight home. 

Because, under the agreed upon rules, the cruise line is responsible for the crew all the way from their initial flight out of the US through and up until they arrive at their "final" destination.  

[Earthworm Jim]

13 hours ago, harkinmr said:

Because, under the agreed upon rules, the cruise line is responsible for the crew all the way from their initial flight out of the US through and up until they arrive at their "final" destination.  

 

So I say "Why is that the rule?" and you answer "Because that's the rule."

 

We're no further enlightened.

[harkinmr]

36 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

So I say "Why is that the rule?" and you answer "Because that's the rule."

 

We're no further enlightened.

Not what I said.  You asked why the CDC has any control over connecting transportation.  Because the risk needs to be contained until the crew member reaches their final destination.  Why is that so hard to understand?  The cruise line is more than welcome to sail to the Philippines to drop off crew members, but once transport starts through the US it needs to be controlled.  It was the same reason why the infected cruise ships that docked in Fort Lauderdale had to have charter transport for all passengers to their final destination point.

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, harkinmr said:

Not what I said.  You asked why the CDC has any control over connecting transportation.  Because the risk needs to be contained until the crew member reaches their final destination.  Why is that so hard to understand?  The cruise line is more than welcome to sail to the Philippines to drop off crew members, but once transport starts through the US it needs to be controlled.  It was the same reason why the infected cruise ships that docked in Fort Lauderdale had to have charter transport for all passengers to their final destination point.

You don't see a difference in the powers the CDC should have in determining how passengers get to their destinations in the US and crew members get to their homes in foreign countries?

[easykruz]

We need an Immunization ASAP

[Daniel A]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

You don't see a difference in the powers the CDC should have in determining how passengers get to their destinations in the US and crew members get to their homes in foreign countries?

It's called government overreach.  Bureaucrats love to regulate beyond their authorized mission.  The big question is whether or not the repatriated crews will be able to use straws and balloons once they reach home...

[Earthworm Jim]

5 hours ago, harkinmr said:

Not what I said.  You asked why the CDC has any control over connecting transportation.  Because the risk needs to be contained until the crew member reaches their final destination.  Why is that so hard to understand?

 

Let's start from the beginning: Why is it the CDC's responsibility to contain the risk all the way to the final destination? Rather than the CDC make rules to protect the US at the American end, and the destination nation make whatever rules are appropriate to protect their nation at the destination end? Once they leave the US to a nation that is willing to accept them, why is it the US's business anymore what happens then in some other country?

 

You keep essentially saying it's the CDC's business because it's the CDC's business. It's a circular argument.

 

But no one cares to hear the two of us arguing anymore. The bottom line is there is no good reason. Or at least no good reason that either of us are aware of.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Earthworm Jim

[harkinmr]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

You don't see a difference in the powers the CDC should have in determining how passengers get to their destinations in the US and crew members get to their homes in foreign countries?

Yep.  I do see a difference.   And it's not just US citizen cruise passengers that were coming off the Fort Lauderdale ships now was it?  Getting the crew to their final destination is the obligation of the cruise line whether it's direct or by connecting flight.  And I know you don't want to hear this, but that is the deal.  Cruise lines either accept it or don't get their crew members home using any US transportation.  Take it up with your Congressman if you don't like it!