You need to read the whole story, and determine what is missing.
Let's look at the part that article's writer (William Feuer) so conveniently left out or was unable to comprehend.
Here is all the original CDC report actually said about the surfaces:
"SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess but before disinfection procedures had been conducted (Takuya Yamagishi, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, personal communication, 2020). Although these data cannot be used to determine whether transmission occurred from contaminated surfaces, further study of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aboard cruise ships is warranted."
From a doctor, Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist :
I've also seen this misrepresented already. "SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic & asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the DP but before disinfection procedures had been conducted. Viral RNA doesn't necessarily mean live virus was present. Now, you're going to see "coronavirus can live on surfaces for 17 days! posted over and over, but we don't know that based on this study and for those using live virus, it's much shorter."
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From another epidemiologist:
Again, there is a big difference between detecting traces of a virus after 17 days and finding it remains transmissible after 17 days, and the cramped, indoors quarantine conditions on the Diamond Princess likely contributed the detection of viral traces.
In other words, there is zero evidence from any reliable source that the virus can live longer than 3 days on a hard surface and only a few hours in air, which we've all been aware of since mid January. The primary means of transmission is and always has been person to person or close contact with someone already infected.
