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THE Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha) has unveiled a strengthened early warning system to protect the region’s cruise industry from infectious disease outbreaks, as cruise passenger arrivals continue to climb beyond pre-pandemic levels.

At two back-to-back regional workshops in Sint Maarten last week, Carpha introduced the second phase of its Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System (CVSS) – a digital platform that automatically generates alerts of illness clusters detected aboard cruise ships before they reach regional ports.

The system, described as “novel” and “user-friendly,” was developed in response to the dual challenges of protecting public health and safeguarding the region’s tourism-dependent economies.