Cruise industry receives new virus prevention guidelines

Cruise terminal and cruise ship operators have been ordered to impose strict prevention measures such as capping reception and regular disinfection as Shanghai's tourism authorities issued guidelines against the coronavirus disease which cover the cruise industry on Wednesday.

The daily reception number of cruise terminals should be controlled to 50 percent of their maximum daily capacity and a reservation system should be implemented for visiting passengers, say the guidelines by the Shanghai Culture and Tourism Administration.

The number of instantaneous visitors should not surpass 50 percent of the instantaneous maximum capacity as well, and the figures should be made public to inform visitors, the notice states.

A health reporting system for passengers should be implemented with tourists' health QR code registered, according to the notice.

Bilingual materials on epidemic prevention should be distributed to tourists, and those with a body temperature above 37.3 degrees Celsius will be rejected at cruise terminals, according to the notice.

Staff at cruise ports must have their body temperature measured before entry, and service persons are required to wear gloves and masks, the notice says.

Tourists should be guided to keep a distance over one meter from each other, and gathering should be prevented, according to the guideline.

Public facilities, electronic screens and garbage bins at the tourist centers of cruise terminals should be disinfected at least twice daily, and items such as wheelchairs for rent must be disinfected upon each use.

Cruise ship companies should conduct training of their staff before resuming operation to make sure that they are familiar with prevention measures and are able to handle emergency incidents, the notice states.

Health files on cruise ship workers should be established and daily registration on their health situation should be implemented, according to the guidelines.

Medical workers and prevention items should be in place on cruise ships, and bilingual materials on the prevention of COVID-19 should be distributed to passengers.

Cruise ship operators should report to customs once a suspected case is found and make disinfection of their contact areas.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean has announced that it has canceled all cruise tours in China in March.

It will offer free cruise tours to medical workers when resuming operation in China in gratitude for their work in fighting the coronavirus battle, the cruise company announced.