{"id":59114,"date":"2020-03-11T21:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-12T05:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/breaking-cruise-line-announces-60-day-pause-of-ship-operations\/"},"modified":"2020-03-12T13:06:20","modified_gmt":"2020-03-12T21:06:20","slug":"breaking-cruise-line-announces-60-day-pause-of-ship-operations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/breaking-cruise-line-announces-60-day-pause-of-ship-operations\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruise line announces 60-day pause of ship operations"},"content":{"rendered":"

10:33 a.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The plan is for Gold Medal basketball to carry on as scheduled, said Juneau Lions Club members Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

President Edward Hotch, Treasurer Janice Hotch and member Eunice James said in a phone interview that they’re monitoring COVID-19 news, but the Juneau Lions Club 74th Gold Medal Basketball Tournament is not canceled.<\/p>\n

“We met last night as a club, and we have decided as a club to continue holding Gold Medal,” Janice Hotch said. <\/p>\n

The tournament is scheduled for March 22-28 in the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé gym.<\/p>\n

Janice Hotch said they are aware COVID-19 has an incubation period of up to two weeks, and tournament organizers will continue to pay attention to guidelines for public health.<\/p>\n

She said the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services<\/a> guidelines do not advise canceling mass gatherings.<\/p>\n

“No one is telling us to cancel anything,” Janice Hotch said. “They are just saying be mindful. Be careful.<\/p>\n

There are not yet confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the <\/a>state<\/a>, and Hotch said visitors to Juneau will almost entirely be traveling in-state.<\/p>\n

“The only out of state folks that come to the tournament are referees,” Janice Hotch said.<\/p>\n

Edward Hotch said tournament organizers had reached out to members of teams scheduled to play in the tournament, and they were in support of not canceling the event.<\/p>\n

“We’ve contacted a lot of teams, and they all want to move forward,” Edward Hotch said.<\/p>\n

— Ben Hohenstatt<\/em><\/p>\n

8:45 a.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A major cruise line announced Thursday it is voluntarily pausing global ship operations for 60 days in light of the global spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n

In a statement posted to its website<\/a>, Princess Cruises said the decision will affect its 18 cruise ships and impact voyages departing between March 12 and May 10.<\/p>\n