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?
Covid was a big hoax no more dangerous than a cold. Should have been no locdowns and stupid civid regulation need to be stop. PRISON TIME FIF LOCKDIWN GOVERNERS AND ENABLELERS TRUMP AND BJDEN . FAUCI SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEPORTED.
Maybe the million plus Americans who died of covid-19 in the early days would strongly disagree with your nonsense views Arthur.
Finally; only took five years to end this nonsense that should've never even started.
Wackos on this thread STILL preaching about their poison jabs and silly chin diapers.
"passengers who may have been exposed to a person with a communicable disease for public health follow-up.” including all those unnamed men who pegged me in the multitude of lavatories.
Took 11 months too long but glad it finally happened
... just ANOTHER proof, how FAR BEHIND that country is, in sooooo many things, but people just take it all for granted!?
another example:
Int. Travelers on ESTA to USA.
During registration for expensive ESTA (valid for 24 month), everybody needs to provide 1. address where to stay in US unless you only transit. So that same address from 24 months ago is still used as trace 2 years later?! ;-)
...
... just ANOTHER proof, how FAR BEHIND that country is, in sooooo many things, but people just take it all for granted!?
another example:
Int. Travelers on ESTA to USA.
During registration for expensive ESTA (valid for 24 month), everybody needs to provide 1. address where to stay in US unless you only transit. So that same address from 24 months ago is still used as trace 2 years later?! ;-)
What a JOKE!
I could write things like this about this Country, that EVERYBODY would get goosebumps, by reading them, if only they knew, how "stupid" and nonsense most of the "rules" are, traveling to the US of A.
.... but the best part of it all, US citizens complain, when other countries finally start charging them for entry and do ask exactly such stupid and no sense questions, but still NOT in such a crazy way as the USA.
. . . to me, i wonder, what some people who invented such things and are in charge of it all get paid for?
Nothing some Saudi money can’t clean up…
Interesting for the US to require this when most Covid deniers/issues/hypocrites are from the US. This seems to be a bigger problem than just the rudimentary contact tracing.
Why does it matter if people “deny” a virus that is no longer pandemic, and that presents as a mild cold in >99% of cases?
Reasonably, with Americans lack of vaccination from a host of easily preventable, other Governments may start requiring Americans, bring proof of normal vaccinations.
The US aside, its not only the US that has the basic vaccine schedule ignored- Have seen multiple notices of people on flights or in Amusement parks with measles infections, foreign travelers.
Tracing is important. Even if it is something that doesn't specifically needed to be handled by an airline
In other news, we still have a photo-fascist in the White House!
*proto-fascist
Well he does love the camera.
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
The O.G. '1990' would never apologize; doubling-down, often humorously, is more his style.
This is a fake 1990 and anti-Kathy extremist!!!
Wrong!
Thanks Kath. Your comment has my full support.
Thanks fake Eskimo. Despite your lack of any progress you still have my full support.
Speaking of Eskimo, super cold in NYC this morning, eh?
Speaking of NYC.
Why do we still haven't renamed the city and state yet.
Since we're on a woke and cancel rampage on anything confederate.
British Empire shares a lot of supremacy and racism that defines confederacy.
We shouldn't name our great city after York. We should revert to its original name Lenapehoking.
Eskimo, the Manhattan were literally the natives… we’re honoring them plenty. Do you really need a land acknowledgement?
Yes! They do!
Hey Tim, stick to sucking up to Delta. That's the only thing you are good at.
And he's quite frankly not very good at that either.
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...
Brian just convicted himself.
Putting fake info is lying on a federal forms. That's a felony.
You can't fix stupid...
Stupid is what stupid does.
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.
Gosh, I'm a doofus. Sorry, pals. I'm gonna vote for Democrats. Yay.
Add another fake alias to 1990's online presence.
It's not 1990, buster.
Yo, that’s not me, bud. I’m being impersonated, too, it seems. You know my typical ‘hot takes’ on various topics. The real me would bring up Tom.
easy to not be impersonated. Sign up for an account