"Healthy Sail Panel" comprises top experts in public health,
infectious disease, biosecurity, hospitality and maritime
operations
MIAMI, July 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise industry
leaders Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line
Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) announced a collaboration to develop
enhanced cruise health and safety standards in response to the
global COVID-19 pandemic. The companies have asked Governor
Mike Leavitt and Dr. Scott Gottlieb to serve as co-chairs of a newly
formed group of experts called the "Healthy Sail Panel." The panel
is tasked with collaboratively developing recommendations for
cruise lines to advance their public health response to COVID-19,
improve safety, and achieve readiness for the safe resumption of
operations.
The expert panel has been working for nearly a month and will
offer its initial recommendations by the end of August. The
cruise lines said its work will be "open source," and could be
freely adopted by any company or industry that would benefit from
the group's scientific and medical insights.
"This unprecedented disease requires us to develop unprecedented
standards in health and safety," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal
Caribbean Group. "Bringing aboard these respected experts to guide
us forward demonstrates our commitment to protecting our guests,
our crews and the communities we visit."
"We compete for the vacationing consumer's business every day,
but we never compete on health and safety standards," said
Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. "While the cruise industry has
always had rigorous health standards, the unique challenges posed
by COVID-19 provide an opportunity to raise the bar even
higher."
"Health and safety are the highest priority for all CLIA cruise
line members as demonstrated by this initiative on the part of two
of our largest members. We commend this and parallel efforts of all
of our members, large and small, who are working tirelessly to
develop appropriate protocols based on input from health
authorities and medical experts in the U.S. and abroad," said
Kelly Craighead, president and CEO
of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
Fain and Del Rio said they
initiated the panel to assure the plans they will submit to the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other
regulators apply the best available public health, science and
engineering insights. The work of the panel will be shared with the
entire industry and regulators.
"In convening the Healthy Sail Panel, we sought the
participation of a diverse group of leading experts in areas of
science and public health that are directly relevant to the
considerations listed by the No Sail Order," said Governor Leavitt.
"We view our work as a profoundly important public health effort.
The health and safety of passengers, crew, and the communities that
cruise ships visit will be the principal focus of this
project."
Dr. Gottlieb said, "We know that the public health issues that
must be addressed are complex, and in some areas, tackling them
will require novel approaches. Our goal in assembling this team of
leading experts was to develop best practices that can improve
safety and provide a roadmap for reducing the risks of
COVID-19."
The panel is co-chaired by Governor Leavitt, former Secretary of
the U.S. Department Health and Human Services (HHS), and Dr.
Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner
of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The panel's members
are globally recognized experts from various disciplines, including
public health, infectious disease, biosecurity, hospitality and
maritime operations.
The members of the expert panel are:
Governor Mike Leavitt
Mike Leavitt was a three term
Governor of Utah and served as
Administrator of the EPA and Secretary of HHS under President
George W. Bush. He is the founder of
Leavitt Partners, a firm that provides investment support, data and
analytics, member-based alliances, and direct services to clients
to support decision-making strategies in the value economy.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb
Dr.
Scott Gottlieb was the Commissioner
of the FDA from 2017-2019 and served as the agency's Deputy
Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs from 2005-2007. He
is a physician trained in internal medicine and is currently a
resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Helene Gayle M.D., MPH
Dr. Gayle is CEO of the Chicago Community Trust, one of the
nation's leading community foundations. Prior to this role,
for almost a decade, she was president and CEO of CARE, a
leading international humanitarian organization. An expert on
global development, humanitarian and health issues, Dr. Gayle spent
20 years with the CDC, working primarily on HIV/AIDS. She worked at
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, directing programs on
HIV/AIDS and other global health issues. She also launched the
McKinsey Social Initiative (now McKinsey.org), a nonprofit that
builds partnerships for social impact. Dr. Gayle serves on public
company and nonprofit boards, including The Coca-Cola Company,
Colgate-Palmolive Company, the Brookings Institution, the Center
for Strategic and International Studies, New America, the ONE
Campaign, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago. She is a member of the Council on
Foreign Relations, the American Public Health Association, the
National Academy of Medicine, the National Medical Association and
the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Julie Gerberding, M.D.,
MPH
Dr. Julie L. Gerberding is Executive
Vice President and Chief Patient Officer for Merck, leading all
aspects of strategic communications, global public policy,
population health and patient engagement.
A former head of the CDC and a world-renowned public health
expert, Dr. Gerberding is deeply committed to achieving sustainable
global health impact and tackling some of the most challenging
health priorities of our time. This includes addressing critical
issues such as affordable access to important therapies, advocating
for health policies that promote and sustain innovation of new
medicines and vaccines, and improving maternal mortality through
the Merck for Mothers program — a public-private partnership
helping to meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal to
reduce maternal mortality.
Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Gerberding served as the Director of
the CDC from 2002-2009 and was the first female to hold that
position. While at the agency, she led more than 40 emergency
responses against crises such as anthrax, SARS, bird flu,
food-borne outbreaks and natural disasters. Previously, Dr.
Gerberding was a tenured faculty member in Infectious Diseases at
the University of California at San
Francisco (UCSF). She continues as an Adjunct Associate
Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF.
Steven Hinrichs, M.D.
Dr. Steven Hinrichs is Professor and
Chair in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at the
University of Nebraska Medical Center
in Omaha and the Director of the
Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), and Director of the
University of Nebraska Center for
Biosecurity. In his position as laboratory director he has been
responsible for the development of a statewide program for the
rapid identification of biological agents of mass destruction. He
is principal investigator of multiple national awards from the
Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and the CDC and
the U.S. Department of Defense for the development of an outreach
program to extend training and expertise in the early recognition
of biological warfare agents. Dr. Hinrichs received his M.D. from
the University of North Dakota and is
board certified in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology. His research
laboratory focuses on molecular diagnostics and the role of viruses
in cancer. Dr. Hinrichs has published over 130 papers in basic
science and medical journals.
Michael Osterholm, M.D.,
Ph.D
Michael Osterholm is one
of the nation's foremost experts in public health, infectious
disease and biosecurity. As the director of the Center for
Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, he is an international
leader on the world's preparedness for pandemics. He has led
numerous investigations into internationally important disease
outbreaks, including foodborne diseases, hepatitis B in health care
settings, and HIV infection in healthcare workers, and he is a
frequent consultant to the World Health Organization, the National
Institutes of Health, the FDA, the U.S. Department of Defense and
the CDC. From 2001 to 2005, Dr. Osterholm served as a special
advisor to the Secretary of HHS on issues related to bioterrorism
and public health preparedness. From June
2018 through May 2019, he
served as a Science Envoy for Health Security on behalf of the U.S.
Department of State. He has also been appointed to the National
Science Advisory Board on Biosecurity and the World Economic
Forum's Working Group on Pandemics, among other prominent advisory
positions.
Stephen Ostroff,
M.D.
Dr. Ostroff brings years of experience in public
health, having served at high level positions at the FDA and CDC.
He was the Acting Commissioner of the FDA from 2015-2016, and
before that served as the FDA's chief scientist. Ostroff joined the
FDA in 2013 as chief medical officer in the Center for Food Safety
and Applied Nutrition and senior public health advisor to FDA's
Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine. Prior to that he served as
deputy director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases at
the CDC, where he was also acting director of CDC's Select Agent
Program. While at the CDC he focused on emerging infectious
diseases, food safety, and coordination of complex outbreak
response. He retired from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public
Health Service at the rank of Rear Admiral (Assistant Surgeon
General). Ostroff was also the director of the Bureau of
Epidemiology and acting physician general for the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and has consulted
internationally on public health projects in South Asia and Latin
America. Ostroff graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in
1981 and completed residencies in internal medicine at the
University of Colorado Health Sciences
Center and preventive medicine at CDC.
William Rutala, Ph.D, M.S.,
MPH
Dr. Rutala has experience medically managing a variety of diseases
and extensive experience studying epidemiology and virology,
particularly managing outbreaks and emerging pathogens. Dr.
Rutala's research interests are the etiology and prevention of
healthcare-associated infections with a special focus on
disinfection and sterilization of reusable medical and surgical
devices (e.g., endoscopes, surgical instruments). Other areas of
active research include contribution of the hospital environment to
disease transmission, hand hygiene, preventing transmission of
infectious agents, including multiply-drug resistant organisms,
prevention of healthcare-associated Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease,
investigation of healthcare-associated outbreaks, and new and
emerging pathogens in healthcare.
Kate Walsh,
Ph.D
Kate Walsh is the
Dean at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University and E.M. Statler Professor. A
professor of management, she is a leader in education for the
global hospitality industry; and a renowned expert in
organizational service design, leadership and career development,
as well as the impact of strategic human capital investments. In
addition to authoring and contributing to books, Dr. Walsh's
articles have appeared in numerous research outlets. She has over
20 years of academic experience, including in her current role as
dean.
In addition, Dean Walsh holds
extensive industry knowledge from serving as the former director of
training and development for Nikko Hotels International, corporate
training manager for the former Bristol Hotels, and senior auditor
for Loews Corporation. She is also a former New York State Certified Public Accountant.
Since the beginning of her administration as dean, Dean Walsh has focused on positioning the school
for the future of education. This includes undertaking a
comprehensive renewal of the graduate and undergraduate curricula,
developing the school's online global presence, identifying
international partners for master-level program development, and
providing thought leadership for the hospitality industry, most
notably through the creation of industry research partnerships for
faculty, fostering new initiatives through the school's six centers
and institutes, and providing faculty-developed resources to guide
the industry. Dr. Walsh received her Ph.D. from the Carroll School
of Management at Boston College and her
M.P.S. degree from Cornell's School of
Hotel Administration.
Captain Patrik
Dahlgren
Captain Patrik
Dahlgren is the Senior Vice President of Global Marine
Operations and Fleet Optimization for all Royal Caribbean
Group global brands. Dahlgren's seagoing experiences started
as a bridge officer aboard tugboats, yachts and an array of cargo
vessels and ferries. He rose through the ranks with over 15 years
onboard Royal Caribbean International cruise ships, with his last
seagoing command as Master of Oasis of the Seas and
Quantum of the Seas. He was a lead contributor to the
Quantum of the Seas development and received the esteemed
RINA (Royal Institute of Naval Architects) award for its innovation
and contributions to maritime safety.
Robin
Lindsay
Robin Lindsay
is the Executive Vice President of Vessel Operations for Norwegian
Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Lindsay was appointed to this position in
January 2015. In this role, Lindsay
is responsible for Marine & Technical Operations, Hotel
Operations, Entertainment, Product Development, Port &
Destination Services, Fleet Personnel, Out Islands and New Build
& Ship Refurbishment for all three of the company's brands –
Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas
Cruises.
Prior to joining Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., Lindsay
served in a similar capacity as Executive Vice President of Vessel
Operations at Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of
Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Lindsay's history
with the company goes back to the inception of Oceania Cruises in
2003, where he joined as Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations
and Vessel Operations. Lindsay earned his B.S. degree from
Louisiana Tech University.
In addition, several experts will also serve as senior advisors
to the panel, including Dr. Caitlin
Rivers, who is a faculty member and epidemiologist at the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an expert in
emerging infectious disease epidemiology and outbreak science, and
Dr. Phyllis Kozarsky, who is a
professor emerita of medicine in the Division of Infectious
Diseases at Emory University School of
Medicine and an expert in pre-travel health advice and
education, global health, and the epidemiology of travel related
infections and infectious diseases. Dr. Kozarsky serves as an
expert consultant to the Division of Global Migration and
Quarantine in travelers' health with the CDC.
More assets available here:
- Infographic: https://presscenter.rclcorporate.com/images/
- Video:
https://presscenter.rclcorporate.com/video/28/royal-caribbean-group-and-norwegian-cruise-line-holdings-ltd-b-roll/
About Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group
(NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that controls and
operates four global brands: Royal Caribbean International,
Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea Cruises. The Company
is also a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises
and a 49% shareholder of the Spanish brand Pullmantur.
Together these brands operate a combined total of 62 ships with an
additional 16 on order as of March
31, 2020. They operate diverse itineraries around the
world that call on all seven continents. Additional
information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com,
www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamara.com, www.silversea.com,
www.tuicruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, www.rclcorporate or
www.rclinvestor.com.
About Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
Norwegian
Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) is a leading global cruise
company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises
and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. With a combined fleet of 28
ships with approximately 59,150 berths, these brands offer
itineraries to more than 490 destinations worldwide. The Company
will introduce nine additional ships through 2027.
Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking
Statements
Some of the statements contained in this release
are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S.
federal securities laws intended to qualify for the safe harbor
from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of
historical facts contained in this release, including, without
limitation, those regarding business strategies, plans, and
objectives for future operations (including those regarding efforts
made by the panel and future health and safety protocols) are
forward-looking statements. Many, but not all, of these statements
can be found by looking for words like "expect," "plan," "will,"
"may," and similar words. Forward-looking statements do not
guarantee future performance and may involve risks, uncertainties
and other factors which could cause actual results, performance or
achievements to differ materially from the future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied in those
forward-looking statements. Examples of these risks, uncertainties
and other factors include, but are not limited to the impact of:
the spread of epidemics, pandemics and viral outbreaks and
specifically, the COVID-19 outbreak, including its effect on the
ability or desire of people to travel (including on cruises); the
ability to develop strategies to enhance health and safety
protocols to adapt to the current pandemic environment's unique
challenges once operations resume and to otherwise safely resume
operations when conditions allow; coordination and cooperation with
the CDC, the federal government and global public health
authorities to take precautions to protect the health, safety and
security of guests, crew and the communities visited and the
implementation of any such precautions; and other factors set forth
under "Risk Factors" in each respective company's most recently
filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and
subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It
is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be
additional risks that are considered immaterial or which are
unknown. The above examples are not exhaustive and new risks emerge
from time to time. Such forward-looking statements are based on
current beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates and
projections regarding present and future business strategies and
the environment in which we expect to operate in the future. These
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. We
expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release
publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement
to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or
any change of events, conditions or circumstances on which any such
statement was based.
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200307/1Governor_Mike_Leavitt.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200308/2Scott_Gottlieb.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200309/3Helene_Gayle.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200310/4Julie_Gerberding.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200311/5Steven_Hinirichs.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200312/6Micheal_Osterholm.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200313/7Stephan_Ostroff.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200314/8William_Rutala.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200315/9Kate_Walsh.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200316/10Patrick_Dahlgren.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200317/11Robin_Lindsay.jpg
Logo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200435/Royal_and_Norwegian_Logo.jpg