| CLIA Update 24 Mar 21

WITH Joel Katz, MD, CLIA Australasia – Progress across the world: A succession of positive announcements over recent days has highlighted the encouraging progress cruise lines are making around the world as they work toward revival.
With stringent new health measures
in place, cruise lines have been able
to announce plans for new sailings
in locations including Malaysia, the
Caribbean, the UK and Israel.
Together with cruises already
underway in parts of Europe,
Singapore and Taiwan, these new
resumptions show the increasing
confidence governments and health
authorities are showing in our
industry’s COVID-19 response.
Though operations remain
suspended in Australia and New
Zealand, the success of cruising in
other locations will provide important
insight for our governments as we
continue pressing for a local revival.
The strict health protocols working
overseas – together with the bubble
concepts several countries have
created for domestic cruising – can
provide a model for local cruising in
our own waters while international
travel restrictions remain.
Importantly, the domestic-first
concept CLIA is proposing for
Australia and New Zealand would
initially mean no passengers could
cruise to any destination they
wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit by
air or land.
Together with 100% testing
of all guests and crew, this will
provide important reassurance for
communities as cruising returns.