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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday announced he has filed a lawsuit against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding cruise ships be "reopened immediately."
Why it matters: The CDC issued new guidance this week to allow cruise ships to begin trial runs before returning to normal operations. But DeSantis wants the cruises — which are a large industry in coastal Florida — to be allowed to resume immediately, the Miami Herald reports.
- "We don’t believe the federal government has the right to mothball a major industry for over a year based on very little evidence and very little data. I think we have a great chance for success," DeSantis said on Thursday.
Reality check: Cruises were some of the first super-spreaders for the coronavirus in 2020.
- While the CDC's new conditional sail order will allow cruises to ultimately resume without vaccine mandates, vaccines are still strongly recommended and masks will be required on board by staff and passengers.