US international airline passenger contact tracing plan stalls, sources say

The Trump administration’s efforts to require airlines to collect contact tracing information from US-bound international passengers has stalled, five people briefed on the matter said Friday, adding such a mandate is unlikely this year. Major airlines and administration officials have held talks for months over a long-standing effort by the CDC to mandate the collection and reporting of tracing information from passengers arriving to the US from foreign destinations. In June, Reuters reported the White House had tasked an interagency working group with adopting an interim solution that could be in place by Sept. 1 as the issue gained urgency with the coronavirus outbreak. After a White House meeting this week, airline and US officials, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said no plan is likely to be adopted and in effect before the end of 2020. Some government officials have raised privacy concerns about moving forward with any contact tracing requirements. White House spokesman Judd Deere said Friday “the White House continues to work with the airlines on the best solution to protect the health and safety of the public not only during this ongoing pandemic but for future ones as well.”<br/>