Appeals court blocks ruling that would have lifted CDC rules for Florida cruises

Written by Nick Blenkey
Legal case finds for CDCl

As cruises from U.S. ports slowly resume, cruise lines have to negotiate a tricky path between Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) restrictions and “no vaccine passport” laws imposed by some state governors.

The confusion has found its way into the courts.

In one of the latest developments on that front, the Miami Herald reports that CDC regulations on Florida-based cruise ships remain in place after a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a previous ruling that sided with a State of Florida lawsuit challenging the regulations.

“The one-paragraph decision by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was filed at 11:50 p.m. Saturday, just minutes before a Tampa judge’s previous ruling on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention restrictions was set to take effect,” reports the Herald.

The temporary stay keeps the CDC regulations in place while the CDC appeals the June decision by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday.

The Florida lawsuit was backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of the state governors championing “no vaccine passport” laws. As we reported earlier, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCHL) has filed suit in in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida asking the court to invalidate the Florida law that bars banning cruise lines (and other businesses) from requiring proofs of vaccination from customers.

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