Carnival Cruise Line officials have confirmed a small cluster of COVID-19 cases on a ship that docked in Belize. One passenger and 26 crew members aboard Carnival Vista tested positive prior to the port call. All were vaccinated. 

Officials said the infected individuals were isolated and mostly asymptomatic. Contact tracing showed no other cases. Belize tourism officials allowed passengers to disembark for shore excursions. Those who got off the ship had to show proof of a negative COVID test.

Latin American is dealing with a spike in COVID-19 cases. The lesser-known Lambda variant has become the dominate strain in Peru, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. 

The Pan American Health Organization says it will distribute millions of vaccines across Latin America and the Caribbean. Some Latin American countries have reported vaccination rates lower than 5 percent.

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