Judge Again Blocks CDC Rules on Cruise Ships in Florida

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A federal judge in Florida has turned down the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s attempt to impose COVID regulations on cruise ships in Florida.

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday said his decision was “about the use and misuse of governmental power,” not “what health precautions against COVID-19 are necessary or helpful,” according to Insider.

Merryday said the CDC’s worries about having COVID-19 spread on cruises ignored “state and local health authorities, the industry’s self-regulation, and the thorough and costly preparations and accommodations by all concerned to avoid ‘transmission’ and to confine and control the ‘transmission,’ if one occurs,” Insider said.

In June, Merryday had ruled that the CDC would not be allowed to enforce COVID-19 safety regulations on cruise ships in Florida after July 18. The judge’s ruling this week was in response to the CDC’s appeal of a temporary injunction he issued.

The State of Florida had argued in a lawsuit that the CDC had overstepped its authority by issuing a conditional sailing order – a set of regulations for how cruise ships can return to operations after being idle for more than a year, The Miami Herald reported.

Sources

Insider. “A Florida judge refuses a CDC request to keep its COVID-19 vaccine rules for cruise ships, and says his decision is about the ‘use and misuse of governmental power’ “

https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-ship-covid-rules-florida-judge-blocks-cdc-appeal-2021-7

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210620/federal-judge-tosses-cdc-covid-cruise-rules-in-florida

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