The cruise ship docks in Juneau last season.

Seattle, Washington (KINY) - The Alaska cruise season for 2020 will be delayed indefinitely and will not start until after the COVID-19 outbreak and public health emergency in Washington state has ended.

That announcement, first reported in the Puget Sound Business Journal, came from the Port of Seattle on Tuesday.

The decision came as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new research findings, revealing that traces of the coronavirus were found on board one cruise ship a full 17 days after all passengers had disembarked.

The decision may deliver an economic blow to small communities in Alaska where the cruise ships call.

A full cruise season generates an economic impact of nearly $900 million statewide and supports 5,500 jobs, the port has previously estimated.