The United States will no longer require international travelers to provide contact tracing information prior to flying to the United States, and that’s a change that seems pretty logical to me.
In this post:
USA ends foreign quarantine and COVID-19 policies
On December 4, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced that interim final rule (IFR) 0920-AA75, which amended its Foreign Quarantine regulations during the COVID-19 public health emergency, has expired.
Specifically, with this rule, all inbound international air travelers to the United States had to provide contact tracing information within 72 hours of their flight’s departure. So this could be done through the booking management function, during online check-in, or at the airport.
Airlines had to keep this information on file for 30 days, and transmit it to the CDC upon request. As it was described at the time, “the purpose of collecting this information is to identify and locate passengers who may have been exposed to a person with a communicable disease for public health follow-up.”
However, with this latest update, that’s no longer required. I suspect airlines will soon update their systems to remove this requirement.
This policy change seems logical and overdue
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not exactly a fan of the current Department of Heath and Human Services. That being said, I am happy to see this rule updated. Of course it was minor in the scheme of things, but it just seemed like a complete waste of time to collect this information, when you consider how many tens of millions of people had to provide this information with no real purpose.
Last year, I posed the question of why collecting this information was still necessary. Even at the height of the pandemic, the United States was bad at doing any sort of contact tracing (unlike in some other countries). But years later, after funding for things like vaccines largely dried up, I found it even sillier to request this information.
Sure, maybe it only takes one or two minutes per person to provide this information. But when you consider the number of people who had to provide this information, that sure adds up to a lot of wasted time. It just seemed like there was no actual practical use for this.
Bottom line
The United States has finally ended its contact tracing requirement for international air travel, after the CDC expired an interim final rule that added such a requirement.
While I of course see merit to contact tracing, it’s not something the United States did well. And even as the pandemic stopped being on peoples’ minds, the government still required this information, which seemed unnecessary. So this is a minor change in the scheme of things, but it does make it a bit faster to check in for US-bound flights.
What do you make of the end of this contact tracing requirement?
Contact tracing was a funny name since there was no tracing at all because we had to provide only one address in order to visit the USA. So no tracing at all after the first night at an airport hotel. But what I do wonder: now that "contract tracing" has ended, does that mean, visitors to the US don't need to enter a first address anymore? I'm asking because that was already necessary to do...
Contact tracing was a funny name since there was no tracing at all because we had to provide only one address in order to visit the USA. So no tracing at all after the first night at an airport hotel. But what I do wonder: now that "contract tracing" has ended, does that mean, visitors to the US don't need to enter a first address anymore? I'm asking because that was already necessary to do before there was any Covid pandemic. So to me that was only a renaming. I don't remember when it started but it had been years before that we needed to provide a first address in the US. No matter if we stayed there the whole time or just a first short night.
What's the over/under on how long it will take BA to update its systems that was seemingly never able to process this information until check-in?
makes sense now that the adults are in charge in Washington.
Just think of all the time that travelers will save.
(just throwing a log on the fire)
Yeah, adults that prefer underage...
The same adults who announced a $250 visa fee?
Stop whining about the $250 Visa fee is typical of inconsequential little keyboard complainers who’ve never actually looked at the facts. That fee hasn’t been $250 for years, everyone who’s traveled recently knows it’s closer to $185 now, and half of that gets refunded if you show up for your interview. The rest literally funds the exact security screening that keeps amateurs like you from accidentally wandering into countries that would eat you alive. But...
Stop whining about the $250 Visa fee is typical of inconsequential little keyboard complainers who’ve never actually looked at the facts. That fee hasn’t been $250 for years, everyone who’s traveled recently knows it’s closer to $185 now, and half of that gets refunded if you show up for your interview. The rest literally funds the exact security screening that keeps amateurs like you from accidentally wandering into countries that would eat you alive. But sure, keep pretending a one-time processing cost (that’s cheaper than your monthly streaming subscriptions) is some grand injustice. People who actually leave their basements pay it without crying online.
Nah, feel free to whine about whatever you want. Well said, PlanetAvgeek. Kathy's just another sycophant for the administration, who wants any naysayers to 'be quiet.' Lame.
Sorry folks, I actually erred when I made this comment. I reread Kathy's comment and was so struck by her common sense and ability to destroy irreverent behavior that I am redacting my statement.
thank i have formerly noted your comment sir
Thanks Jalpreet. Appreciate the support.
your welcome sir
This is a fake 1990 and anti-Kathy extremist!!!
Wrong!
Thanks Kath. Your comment has my full support.
Thank god. I always put fake info in anyway. Was the most ridiculous thing ever. And a constant reminder of the vast overreach by the Biden administration and we are all paying the price now with the backlash against public health.
I assume that Brian has forgotten who was President on February 7, 2020, when interim final rule (IFR) 0920-AA75 was promulgated. So in the interest of freedom, allow me to remind him that the rule came into effect while President Trump was first in office.
"I assume that Brian has forgotten who was President on February 7, 2020..."
Some of the RWNJs are still blaming Obama for the financial meltdown of 2008.
You can't fix stupid...
It was a minor annoyance so I'll be glad to know we won't have to fill it out anymore, but I completely forgot why the contact tracing form was there in the first place.
Makes sense, since RFK Jr is disbanding the CDC in favour of debunked ideas and conspiracy theories.
For some reason you hate me, but, UncleRonnie, here at least, you get it.
I don't hate you, but I dislike your constant chirping on every topic. It's not necessary, as it's mostly trolling and not interesting. And that's a pity because you do actually say some really good, relevant stuff too. Quality, not quantity young man :)
With great respect Ron, I must disagree.
Gee, here's a shock, a narcissist disagrees with a criticism about himself.