Judge Rules for Florida on CDC Order Blocking Cruise Ships

Judge Rules for Florida on CDC Order Blocking Cruise Ships
The Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of The Seas arrives at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 10, 2021. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—A federal judge on Friday ruled for Florida in a lawsuit challenging a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order making it difficult for cruise ships to resume sailing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday wrote in a 124-page decision that Florida would be harmed if the CDC order, which the state said effectively blocked most cruises, were to continue.