Major US airlines will voluntarily collect international contact tracing info

Major US airlines on Friday said they would adopt a voluntary international contact tracing program, months after the White House under then-President Donald Trump blocked a mandatory effort. American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, United and other major airlines said they had committed to collecting contact tracing data from passengers traveling into the United States and to relaying that data to the CDC if travelers provide information. In August, Trump officials rejected an effort to require airlines to collect contact tracing information from US-bound international passengers after some senior administration officials cited privacy concerns, Reuters reported. Major airlines and administration officials had held talks for months over a long-standing CDC effort to mandate the collection and reporting of tracing information from international passengers.<br/>