Passenger on Alaska cruise tests positive for COVID-19, prompting quarantine, canceled sailings
One of the first cruise ships to resume overnight sailing in U.S. waters since the coronavirus shut down the cruise industry this year has reported one case of COVID-19 on board.
Passengers are quarantining on UnCruise Adventures' Wilderness Adventurer "until the State of Alaska deems it safe for them to return home" after one passenger tested positive, according to a travel alert posted on the cruise line's website.
The passenger received a positive test result Tuesday after first testing negative and remains asymptomatic.
The ship, now off the coast of Alaska en route to Juneau, according to CruiseMapper, was able to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's no-sail order because its capacity is less than 250 passengers and crew.
UnCruise Adventures will suspend the rest of its scheduled trips departing from Alaska for the year.
"With the spotlight on the cruise and small boat industry we understand there are risks in operating and travel in general," UnCruise Adventures said in its announcement. "With months of preparation we were still able to pivot quickly in response to this event. This unprecedented virus requires unprecedented standards and continues to change. Our focal point is to continue to improve for the future of travel and our industry. We thank those that have worked rapidly to isolate and implement the appropriate processes as we determine the next steps."
The cruise line did not specify what precautions were being taken on the ship during the passenger quarantine. USA TODAY has reached out to UnCruise Adventures for more information.
While major cruise lines remain on lockdown in U.S. waters thanks to the CDC's no-sail order, some large cruise lines in international waters have set sail and are dealing with COVID-19 cases on board.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US cruise ship quarantined after passenger tests positive for COVID-19
