WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — It’s been a back and forth feud for months now; Governor Ron DeSantis and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are not seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to the cruise industry.
The latest update in the ongoing legal battle is a considered a win for the CDC.
A federal appeals court has granted a hold on a U.S. district judge’s ruling that had previously backed Florida over COVID-19 guidelines for cruise lines.
Court documents show the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the motion Saturday, ruling to keep the CDC’s cruise-industry rules in place.
In late April, the CDC issued the “Conditional Sailing Order,” which outlined the steps cruise lines need to follow in order to get back on the water. At the top of that list is requiring that 98 percent of crew members and 95 percent of passengers be fully vaccinated. It also requires simulated sails before allowing passengers to embark.
In response, Governor Ron DeSantis sued the CDC, insisting it’s illegal for the federal government to single out cruise lines and require them to ensure all passengers and crew members are vaccinated in order to resume operations. He claims the rules are harmful to the state’s livelihood.
In June, a judge ruled in favor of Governor DeSantis saying the CDC should make recommendations for the cruise industry but not rules.
The decision made by the federal appeals court this weekend though temporary puts a hold on the June ruling. That means those restrictions will stay in place while the CDC appeals the June ruling.