Florida governor opposes CDC’s condition for cruises
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PENSACOLA, Florida (WALA) — Even though cruises have been given the green light to sail again, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing back against the CDC’s only condition.
The CDC says everyone on board must be vaccinated.
But a new law set to take effect July 1 would essentially ban vaccine passports.
The legislation prohibits any Florida business from mandating that an individual provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
If they ask for proof, they could be fined up to $5,000 per customer.
Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Carribean’s Celebrity Cruises could be facing some hefty fines. That’s because the CDC is requiring 100 percent of crew members and 95 percent of paying passengers to be vaccinated.
But DeSantis says cruise ships are not immune to Florida law.
DeSantis says: “We are going to enforce Florida law. We have Florida law. We have laws that protect the people and the privacy of our citizens and we are going to enforce it.”
Meanwhile, the lawsuit filed by Florida Attorney Gen. Ashley Moody against the CDC is still in mediation.
In the suit, attorneys for the attorney general argue the CDC overstepped its legal authority in imposing the restrictions, but the federal government disagrees.
Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice are standing firm in their position. They argue that the feds have the authority to regulate ships to stop the spread of diseases.
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