One of the world’s largest cruise line companies on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in Florida over the state’s law prohibiting COVID-19 “vaccine passports.”
“We believe Florida’s prohibition is on the wrong side of federal law, public health, science and is not in the best interest of the welfare of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit, therefore, we have reluctantly turned to the courts for relief,” Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Holdings said in a statement.
The agency, which is set to resume sailing from Florida ports in mid-August, announced plans earlier this year they will require proof-of-vaccination documentation among ship staff and patrons.
In the suit, the company said that the state’s ban on such passport-style systems prevents them from resuming the market in “the safest way possible” and that pursuing a lawsuit was a “last resort.”
The complaint argues that the Sunshine State’s prohibition of COVID-19 vaccine passports violates the companies’ First Amendment and contradicts a sailing rule set out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which requires 95 percent of passengers and crew to be vaccinated.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis codified the prohibition of vaccine passports by signing Senate Bill 2006 into law on May 3. He initiated the ban through an executive order in August. – READ MORE
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