US: Airline executives and Pence agree to move forward with contact tracing of passengers

VP Mike Pence has told major airlines to move forward with an industry-led solution for the contact tracing of passengers during the coronavirus pandemic. A source familiar with the matter tells CNN that Pence gave his blessing to a "compromise solution" for contact tracing during a Friday meeting with airline executives. Airlines had initially balked at the government's demand that they collect detailed contact information on all passengers and distribute it to public health officials if requested. The airlines said it would be impossible to quickly overhaul the massive legacy computer systems that handle the industry's vast booking networks. The source said that Pence now supports the airlines' proposal for a third-party app and website that would require passengers to input five points of data. The industry group, Airlines for America, said after the meeting that it looked forward to implementing some initiatives to help relaunch the industry. "We appreciate the collaboration and interest of the Administration since the onset of the pandemic," it said. "We had a constructive conversation today with the Vice President and remain grateful for his leadership through this health crisis. We look forward to working with the Administration to identify and implement initiatives that help relaunch the US airline industry, get people moving again and rebuild the American economy." The 45-minute closed-door meeting also covered temperature checks and expected EU restrictions on Americans travelling abroad, but the source underscored that the most substantive talks centered on contact tracing.<br/>