When Coronavirus Hit, Why Did Cruise Ships Keep Sailing?

Below is a timeline of the events involving the Eclipse, based largely on a story in The Washington Post, which has been doing excellent investigative work on this subject:

February: It becomes clear that the virus can spread very quickly on cruise ships. An outbreak on the Diamond Princess receives worldwide attention. “People on a large ship, all together, at the same time, all the time — you couldn’t ask for a better incubator for infection,” Anthony Fauci, the immunologist, says.