27 People Tested Positive Aboard Carnival Cruise Ship

A Carnival cruise ship that departed from Texas had 27 people on board who tested positive for COVID-19.

The positive tests came just before the ship made a stop in Belize City earlier this week, CBS News reported. Among those were 26 crew members and one passenger.

The Carnival Vista is carrying more than 1,400 crew members and nearly 3,000 passengers. All 27 confirmed cases were people who were vaccinated. All had mild or no symptoms but were still placed in isolation out of precaution.

According to the tourism board, 99.98% of crew members were vaccinated, and 96.5% of its passengers were vaccinated.

The CDC stated that cruise ships are settings that can often lead to disease outbreaks because of their closed environment and close contact between those traveling on board. The agency listed guidelines for cruise ship operators, including minimizing the number of crew members sharing a cabin, eliminating in-person or group staff meetings, and practicing social distancing.

Notably, the CDC recommends that “Some measures are not necessary for crew who are fully vaccinated.”

The cruise line requires passengers to be vaccinated, but there is an exception for children and people with medical issues.

On August 4, Carnival announced that passengers must wear a mask in certain indoor areas and submit a negative COVID test within three days of embarking for cruises beginning August 14.