WICO is at 'Sink or Swim' Time of its Existence, Says Board Member; CDC's 'Framework of Conditional Sailing' Further Delays Cruise Travel
- Maxiene K. Cabo
- December 03, 2020
The West Indian Company Ltd. (WICO) Board of Directors convened on Wednesday to discuss several items involving the WICO dock, with matters surrounding possible delays of cruise travel, along with WICO's survival, being matters most pressing to board members. During WICO's board meeting in October, Mr. Ottley told those in attendance that the Virgin Islands could see the return of cruise ships to WICO as early as January 2021. At that time, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had extended its no-sail order to the end of October. Since then, the CDC has lifted the no-sail order and replaced it with the "Framework for Conditional Sailing Order". This order presents a phased approach for the resumption of passenger cruises. According to Mr. Ottley, those phases include crew certification for negative Covid-19 infection, onboard testing capability, medical staffing, isolation areas for infected persons, and simulated (mock) voyages with volunteer passengers that must s...
