by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:10 AM ET, Sat February 20, 2021
The majority of top airlines announced Friday they would begin collecting contact tracing data from international passengers arriving in the United States.
According to Reuters.com, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines revealed they would collect the data and share it with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as an additional layer of protection for the traveling public.
Carriers will ask customers to voluntarily provide critical elements to help support local public health authorities conducting contact tracing, including their legal name, two phone numbers, an email address and the address of where travelers will be staying in the U.S.
"The implementation of a contact tracing program for international passengers is yet another measure in our multi-layered approach to mitigate risk and assure the traveling public that both U.S. airlines and the federal government are prioritizing the health and safety of passengers and crew," Airlines for America (A4A) President Nicholas E. Calio said.
"We are hopeful that this measure, coupled with existing testing requirements for passengers flying to the U.S., will lead policymakers to lift travel restrictions so that international travel can resume and the social and economic benefits of that travel can be realized," Calio continued.
In addition to the new contact tracing efforts, airlines across the country have been implementing extensive measures to protect passengers and employees, including face-covering requirements, pre-departure health acknowledgment forms and enhanced disinfection processes.
Last week, the CDC revealed it would not require that domestic passengers show a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flights.
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