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Miami – Governor Ron DeSantis celebrates a victory in his ongoing battle against federal COVID rules on cruise ships departing from Florida.
U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Meridi sided with DeSantis Friday over his opposition to COVID-related public health restrictions on cruise lines.
Merida issued a preliminary injunction to temporarily prevent the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from executing the October 30 conditional sailing order.
“The CDC was wrong all along, and they knew it,” DeSantis said in a statement.
Merryday ordered mediation and wrote that DeSantis “is very likely to prevail” in the pending litigation since the CDC overstepped his authority.
The CDC issued a no-sail order on March 14, 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. DeSantis claimed that the administration of President Joe Biden “developed a plan to flood the cruise industry” with delays and lawsuits.
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“Today, we guarantee this victory to Florida families, to the cruise industry, and to every state that wants to preserve its rights in the face of unprecedented federal abuse,” DeSantis said.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a statement saying Merida’s decision was “a victory for hardworking Florida people whose livelihoods depend on the cruise industry.”
The Merryday order takes effect July 18 when it converts the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order into a recommendation or guidance. The CDC will be able to appeal the order in the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and bring the new terms of a conditional sailing order to court by July 2.
“Cruise lines and the CDC are working hand in hand to try to safely resume cruises,” said Michael Winkelman, a naval attorney. “Honestly, I think everything the governor did made it more difficult for them, and that’s a paradox.”
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Royal Caribbean has announced that the cruise line plans to allow unvaccinated travelers to embark on Florida, but that their access to venues and events will be restricted and they will have to pay for a COVID test. The cruise line has not yet received a conditional sailing certificate from the CDC.
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