By Live 5 Web Staff|March 12, 2020 at 6:10 AM EDT - Updated March 12 at 10:44 AM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A carnival cruise ship docked at the Port of Charleston is letting 3,000 people off into the Holy City Thursday morning.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Charleston Port Authority all say they are working with the Centers for Disease Control and the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control to decide whether any additional health screenings are necessary.
All passengers were required to have their temperature taken before boarding the ship five days ago. There have been no health screenings for the passengers since then.
City of Charleston officials say they have no say in cruise ship arrivals.
The spokesperson did not directly answer whether anyone on board is sick, only saying they were not aware of anything “that would impact the ship’s arrival.”
The Sunshine will be leaving Thursday at 6 p.m. with another 3,000 people heading to the Bahamas.
A spokesperson for Carnival Cruises says the company is implementing new policies for cruises, including having employees serve buffet food. Some destinations may be canceled prior to arrival and some who choose to take the cruise may receive up to $200.
The company’s website states hand sanitizers are being made available for all staff and passengers. Cruise terminals are cleaned thoroughly before the next embarkation day and all guest and crew buses providing transportation to the terminals are being sanitized after every trip.
The site states certain guests may be subject to additional screening. Those guests include those traveling from or through Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan in the last 20 days.
Those who have been to or traveled through China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan or Singapore in the last 20 days or those who have been in contact with another person diagnosed with or tested for COVID-19 are not being allowed to sail on Carnival ships, the site states.
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