On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended a No Sail Order for cruise ships through the end of September as the novel coronavirus continues to spread in the U.S.
The CDC has had the No Sail Order in effect since March 14. The agency extended the order for 100 days on April 15. The order was set to expire on July 24.
The CDC's announcement comes about a month after the Cruise Lines International Association recommended that all cruise ships stay docked through Sept. 15.
In the early days of the pandemic, cruise ships proved to be a hotbed for the spread of COVID-19. In March, more than 700 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus aboard the Diamond Princess, a ship that was sailing off the coast of Asia. After being turned away at multiple ports, the ship was allowed to dock off the coast of Japan. Thirteen people aboard the ship died of the virus.
According to the CDC, nearly 3,000 cruise ship passengers contracted the virus earlier this year. Thirty-four of those passengers eventually died of the illness.
