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Health

CDC recommends vacationers with excessive danger of Covid problems keep away from cruises

The Royal Caribbean cruise ship will be seen on the Hudson River in New York City, United States, on August 18, 2021 as the region’s first cruise ship docks back in New York Harbor.

Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that travelers at high risk of serious complications from Covid-19 should avoid cruises regardless of their vaccination status.

The updated guidelines also recommended that travelers who are not fully vaccinated should not cruise.

The new council follows several coronavirus outbreaks reported on board cruise lines, according to the CDC.

While the agency doesn’t introduce the same masking requirements that apply to planes, trains, and other public transportation, it suggested that face-covering be worn for cruise passengers in common areas.

“The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads easily between people in close proximity on board ships, and the likelihood of getting Covid-19 on cruise lines is high,” the CDC said in its updated guidance.

The agency advised all travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, to get tested one to three days before a cruise and three to five days after their return. Anyone taking a cruise should be in quarantine for seven days after returning, even if they tested negative for the virus.

The new policy comes just a week after the Belize Tourism Board announced that 27 people on board a Carnival cruise tested positive for Covid.

During Friday’s extended trading, Carnival Cruises shares fell more than 2%, Norwegian Cruise Line shares fell nearly 3%, and Royal Caribbean Cruises shares fell more than 2%.

After the industry closed at the beginning of the pandemic due to multiple outbreaks on board ships, the CDC has enforced strict guidelines to prevent similar events from occurring.

Of the three cruise lines, Royal Caribbean was the first to return to operations and had few cases on board ships, which was the target, according to CEO and Chairman Richard Fain.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival have allowed some unvaccinated passengers on board ships, but Norwegian has not.

Norwegian even filed a lawsuit against Florida surgeon general to halt a state ban that prevented companies from requiring customers to provide proof of Covid vaccination. The cruise company was granted a temporary stay in enforcement, but Florida has filed an appeal.

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World News

A congressman-elect from Louisiana died from Covid-19 problems.

Luke Letlow, a Republican who was elected to the House of Representatives this month to represent Louisiana’s Fifth Congressional District, died Tuesday night of complications from Covid-19, a spokesman said. He was 41 years old.

Mr. Letlow was due to take office on Sunday. His death was confirmed by several politicians, including Louisiana representative Garret Graves, who said in a Facebook post that the death of his friend and “former employee” was “a great loss to Louisiana and America.” Mr Letlow died at the Ochsner LSU Health Hospital in Shreveport, La., Said spokesman Andrew Bautsch.

Mr Letlow said on December 18 that he was isolating at home after testing positive for the coronavirus. He was later hospitalized in Monroe, La., Before being rushed to the Shreveport hospital, Mr Bautsch said on Dec. 23. Mr Letlow was given the antiviral drug remdesivir and steroids to treat his infection, Mr Bautsch said.

On December 21, when he was hospitalized in Monroe, Mr Letlow urged people who had recovered from Covid-19 to donate their plasma. “Your plasma is especially needed by those who suffer,” he wrote in a tweet. “I cannot stress this enough. Please remember to save lives by going out and donating at your local blood bank. ”

Dr. GE Ghali, a doctor at Shreveport Hospital, told The Advocate in Baton Rouge, La that he had no underlying medical conditions that would have increased his chances of dying from Covid-19.

Mr. Letlow was elected to replace Rep. Ralph Abraham, whom Mr. Letlow had appointed as chief of staff, in a runoff earlier this month against another Republican.

Mr. Letlow is survived by his wife Julia and their two children Jeremiah and Jacqueline.

Spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi said in a statement: “Tonight the United States House of Representatives is sadly mourning the death of Congressman-elect Luke Letlow.

“Congressman-elect Letlow was a ninth generation Louisian who fought passionately for his point of view and dedicated his life to public service,” she said.

Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, said: “Our hearts break tonight as we process the news of the death of Congressman-elect Luke Letlow.”

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said Tuesday evening that Covid-19 had “taken Congressman-elect Letlow from us far too early”. Mr. Edwards, a Democrat, said he had ordered flags to be hoisted halfway on the day of Mr. Letlow’s funeral.

Representative Mike Johnson, a Republican representing the state’s fourth congressional district, made a statement on behalf of the state’s six-member Congressional delegation: “We are devastated to hear of Luke Letlow’s death. Luke had such a positive mind and he had an incredibly bright future ahead of him. He looked forward to serving the people of Louisiana in Congress, and we were pleased to welcome him to our delegation where he was ready to make an even greater impact on our state and nation. “

Bobby Jindal, the former Louisiana governor for whom Mr. Letlow had previously worked when Mr. Jindal was a Congressional candidate, agent and governor, said the congressman-elect had “spoken in recent days about his excitement about being able to serve him “Circle.

“I first met Luke when he was a student and spent countless hours with him in his truck driving the back streets of Louisiana,” said Jindal. “His passion for service has been constant throughout his life.”

Ballotopedia says Mr. Letlow is the first federal elected official to die of Covid. The first member of the federal government to die from it was a judge.

Other elected officials to die from Covid include multiple lawmakers: a Republican Senator from Minnesota, New Hampshire’s new Republican House Speaker, and in North Dakota, David Dean Andahl, a Republican named “Dakota Dave” was posthumously elected to the House after he died from the virus.