Norwegian May Pull Ships From Florida Over DeSantis Vaccination Policy

@alexvhenderson
Norwegian Cruise Line ship

Norwegian Cruise Line ship "Norwegian Spirit"

Photo by Piergiuliano Chesi (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

In Florida, far-right Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill that bans businesses from requiring that customers show proof that they have been vaccinated for COVID-19. And Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, according to the Associated Press, is threatening to keep its ships out of Florida ports because of it.

Federal health officials, in their guidelines, have recommended that most passengers and crew members be vaccinated on cruise ships that enter U.S. waters. And Norwegian believes that Florida's law does not follow that recommendation.

Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, told AP, "It is a classic state-versus-federal-government issue. Lawyers believe that federal law applies and not state law, but I'm not a lawyer. And we hope that this doesn't become a legal football or a political football."

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' corporate office is in Miami. But Del Rio has said that Norwegian cruise ships "that otherwise would have gone to Florida" could go to other U.S. states or the Caribbean instead — although the CEO also said, "We certainly hope it doesn't come to that."

AP reporter David Koenig notes, "Last month, DeSantis signed an order banning businesses from requiring customers to show proof of vaccination and prohibiting state agencies from issuing so-called vaccine passports that document COVID-19 vaccinations and test results. This week, he signed legislation that includes the provision about businesses and gives him power to overrule local measures related to the pandemic, such as mask mandates."

Advertising

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

Trump Pundits Line Up Against 'Poisonous' Nikki Haley And Koch Network

Nikki Haley

On Tuesday, Americans for Prosperity, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit founded by billionaire industrialists Charles and the late David Koch, endorsed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for president. The endorsement, AFP’s first in a Republican primary, comes amid consistent media chatter that Haley has surpassed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the preeminent GOP challenger to former President Donald Trump.

Keep reading...Show less
Trump Club Waitress: 'I Was Forced To Engage In Sex' To Keep Job

Alina Habba, left, and former president Donald Trump

Photo by quapan licensed under CC BY 2.0

Alice Bianco, who worked as a server at former President Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, is accusing her former boss of sexual assault, and the ex-president's attorney of making her sign an illegal non-disclosure agreement in an attempt to silence her.

Keep reading...Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}