Appeals court blocks injunction, forces cruise lines to continue following CDC rules

TAMPA, Fla. - Late Saturday night, a federal appeals court voted 2-to-1 to temporarily block a judge’s ruling that would have allowed the CDC's guidelines for cruises ships to restart in the U.S. to go from being required rules to recommendations.

It's a major win for the CDC, but a loss for Governor Ron DeSantis.

"The cruise lines have accepted the fact that they are going to have to follow some type of CDC regulations," Florida Ports Council Interim President Mike Rubin said.

Exactly one month ago on June 18th U.S. District Court Judge Steven Merryday ruled in favor of the governor.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Cruise ship fight between Florida, CDC heads to appeals court

"You can't have an agency relying on flimsy legal authority to just keep an entire industry closed with really no path forward," Governor Ron DeSantis said back on June 18th.

His ruling meant the CDC's guild lines for cruise lines to restart in the U.S. could only remain in place till July 18th. After that, they would become recommendations. However, late Saturday night and hours before that could happen, the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals put a stop to it.

In a vote of 2-to-1, the appeal's court issued a one-paragraph order just before midnight allowing the CDC rules to remain in effect. It came as no surprise to Rubin.

"I don't know if the ruling by the appellate court is going to have much of a change on how they've been operating. I think they were hoping and I think we all were hoping the CDC would come up with regulations that were consistent and I think they've been trying to work that way," Rubin said.

Going forward, the state could ask the Court of Appeals to reinstate the injunction that was initially granted. FOX 13 reached out to the governor's office for comment and are still waiting to hear back as of Sunday night.