Cruise and state officials address coronavirus concerns, call for testing prior to boarding

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - Cruise industry officials are trying to figure out how to get ahead of the coronavirus concerns.

Vice President held a meeting this weekend to address the concerns, making an increased call-to-action for all cruise lines to test passengers before they even step onboard.

As of Sunday morning, there are 19 positive cases of COVID-19 tied to Florida. The Florida Department of Health says that 11 of those are Florida residents, five of those are Florida residents in other states or countries, and one is a non-Florida resident in Florida. 278 others are currently being monitored for the virus.

There have been two deaths so far in Florida due to the coronavirus. Both were in their 70s with underlying health conditions.

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Elected officials want the cruise industry to stay strong.

Senator Marco Rubio said that "no one wants to see cruises canceled or discouraged. We also cannot afford as a country to have another instance in which we have three, four, five thousand passengers and no established protocol for how to deal with it."

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Senato Rick Scott added that "people want to continue to go on cruises. And when they go on cruises, they remain safe."