Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has reiterated that his state won’t embrace so-called “vaccine passports” in the midst of confusion about whether a federally mandated system will be implemented for airplane and cruise travelers.
“We are going to enforce Florida law,” DeSantis, a Republican, said on May 30 in reference to a bill he signed earlier this month prohibiting passport-type systems.
Some cruise lines, which conduct a large amount of business in Florida, may be at risk of violating state law after Celebrity Cruises gained approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to require that cruise passengers and crew members show proof of vaccination.
Going a step further, DeSantis said Celebrity Cruises would be breaking Florida law if it attempted to require that passengers show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. The Florida state legislature passed Senate Bill 2006, banning passport-like systems being implemented in Florida in early May.
“You don’t pass laws and then not enforce them against giant corporations. It doesn’t work that way,” DeSantis said on May 28.
After the CDC shut down cruise operators last year during the pandemic, the federal health agency said cruises can resume under more stringent guidelines.
DeSantis said that the agency, however, “does not have the authority” to shut down cruise lines.
