Portland introduces cruise ship outbreak text alerts
The opt-in notification system is intended to alert the public about infectious disease outbreaks aboard cruise ships scheduled to dock in the city.
Portland has introduced an opt-in text-alert system that will notify members of the public about infectious disease outbreaks on cruise ships scheduled to dock in the city. Enrollment in the alert service is optional.
JoAnn Locktov, co-founder of Portland Cruise Control, said the group proposed the notification system following the arrival of Oceania Insignia in Portland the previous October. Locktov said the vessel docked in the city with a norovirus outbreak aboard that exceeded the threshold set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to proposing the alert system, Portland Cruise Control is seeking publication of the thresholds used for cruise ship docking and the procedures that would apply to quarantines. The group is also requesting stronger sanitation standards.