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Appeals Court Blocks Florida Ruling, Preserves CDC Cruise Ship Regulations

The appeals court ruling will keep the CDC pandemic regulations on cruise ships in place—for now.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked a Florida judge’s ruling that challenged Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations regarding cruise ship operations. U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday originally ruled that the CDC had overstepped its boundaries by placing COVID-19 restrictions on the cruise industry, issuing an injunction against said restrictions to go in effect on Sunday. U.S. Department of Justice attorneys argued that cruise travel could potentially introduce COVID-19 variants into the United States and that therefore the CDC has the authority to enforce regulations to prevent those situations. The appeals court panel that issued its ruling late Saturday was made up of Charles Wilson and Jill Pryor, appointed to the court by former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, respectively, and Elizabeth Branch, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump. One judge dissented but wasn’t identified in the ruling.