ARLINGTON, Va. -- Cruise line members of the International Council
of Cruise Lines adopted a uniform set of guidelines for screening
embarking passengers for signs of SARS.
ICCL's new guidelines, finalized April 25, call for the 16
member lines to have passengers fill out a questionnaire related to
their recent travel history.
The lines will be expected to deny boarding to guests who have
been in a designated "Area of Special Concern" -- currently Hong
Kong, mainland China, Singapore and Vietnam -- within the previous
10 days, and to passengers, visitors and crew who have had close
contact with a confirmed or suspected SARS patient.
Passengers who have passed through Toronto, currently classified
as an Area of Increased Screening, will be screened by a ship's
physician before being allowed to board.
ICCL member lines have placed a hiring freeze, or at the minimum
a 10-day quarantine, on all crew from SARS-affected Asia
destinations.
The lines also are required to "utilize recommended
disinfectants and sanitation protocols" and keep a supply of masks,
gowns and diagnostic kits onboard.
"Our primary goal is to have effective screening programs that
will prevent the introduction of SARS illnesses aboard cruise
ships," ICCL said.
Most cruise lines had already adopted some or all of the ICCL's
measures in the past few weeks, as SARS has become a growing
concern.
Crystal Cruises, an ICCL member, went a step further and is
denying boarding to all passengers arriving from Toronto through
the end of May.