State joins Florida tourism lawsuit against CDC

Alaska has joined a Florida lawsuit challenging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s conditional sailing order, which requires cruise lines to comply with several precautionary measures to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus by crew and passengers.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced his decision on Tuesday, April 20, saying that the conditional sailing order goes beyond the scope of the CDC’s legal authority. It also fails to recognize the cruise industry’s know-how in protecting passengers, crew and port communities, he said.

“Through this lawsuit, Alaska seeks to protect its citizens and its interests by forcing the CDC to act within the limited authority Congress granted it,” said Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor. “CDC simply does not have the authority to arbitrarily shut down an entire industry.”

The anticipated lack of cruise ship visits to Alaska this summer is expected to have a multi-million-dollar impact on the state’s tourism sector, including the loss of hundreds of jobs.

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