The White House blocked the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention from extending its "no sail" order preventing cruise ships from sailing, according to The New York Times.
During a coronavirus task force meeting on Tuesday, CDC Director Robert Redfield reportedly wanted to extend the order, which is scheduled to expire on Wednesday, through February 2021.
According to the Times, Redfield was overruled by the White House, which wanted to extend the order through October 31. That deadline matches one set by the cruise industry.
"The president, the vice president and the task force follow the science and data to implement policies that protect the public health and also facilitate the safe reopening of our country," White House deputy press secretary Brian Morgenstern said, according to Axios. "It is not about politics. It is about saving lives."
According to Axios, industry representatives and Trump administration officials are planning to meet on Friday to "describe their transformation and dozens of ways that they will mitigate risk and ensure public health.”
"And in that meeting, there will be a discussion and afterwards a decision will need to be made about whether the order needs to be extended," an unnamed White House official added.
According to the Times, the CDC reported 2,973 cruise-related coronavirus-related cases, including 34 deaths between March 1 and July 10.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.