Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 251 / Thursday, December 31, 2020 / Notices 86933 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Type of respondents Form name Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden per 

response 

(in hours) 

ECE Director or Administrator ........................ Recruitment Letter .......................................... 1,140 1 5/60 

ECE Director or Administrator ........................ Web/Mail Survey ............................................ 627 1 40/60 

Jeffery M. Zirger, 

Lead, Information Collection Review Office, 

Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of Science, 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28982 Filed 12–30–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

Requirement for Negative PreDeparture COVID–19 Test Result for All 

Airline Passengers Arriving Into the 

United States From the United 

Kingdom 

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), Department of Health 

and Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice of Agency Order. 

SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC), a 

component of the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS), 

announces an Agency Order requiring 

negative pre-departure COVID–19 test 

results for all airline passengers arriving 

into the United States from the United 

Kingdom (UK). This Order is issued to 

preserve human life; prevent the further 

introduction, transmission, and spread 

of the virus that causes COVID–19 into 

the United States, including new virus 

variants; preserve the health and safety 

of airline crew members, passengers, 

airport personnel, and communities; 

and preserve hospital, healthcare, and 

emergency response resources within 

the United States. 

DATES: This Order was effective 

December 27, 2020 at 7:01 p.m. EST 

(12:01 a.m. December 28, 2020 GMT). 

See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the 

conditions under which the Order will 

expire. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Buigut, Division of Global 

Migration and Quarantine, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 

Clifton Road NE, MS H16–4, Atlanta, 

GA 30329. Email: dgmqpolicyoffice@

cdc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

December 14, 2020, Public Health 

England announced that a new variant 

of SARS-CoV–2 had been identified 

across the southeast of England (i.e., 

Kent and the surrounding areas). While 

it is known and expected that viruses 

change through mutation leading to the 

emergence of new variants, preliminary 

analysis in the UK suggests that this 

SARS–CoV–2 variant may be more 

transmissible than previously 

circulating variants. Pre-departure 

testing may detect travelers infected 

with SARS–CoV–2 before they initiate 

their travel and may reduce the risk of 

transmission. Therefore, urgent efforts 

are needed to mitigate the potential 

spread of this new virus variant into the 

United States. 

This Order establishes requirements 

for (1) airlines arriving into the United 

States from the UK; and (2) passengers 

departing the United Kingdom with a 

final destination in the United States. 

A copy of the Order and Attachment 

A are provided below and a copy of the 

signed order can be found at https://

www.cdc.gov/quarantine/testingrequirement-for-arriving-UK-airtravelers.html. 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention Department of Health and 

Human Services 

Order Under Section 361 of the Public 

Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264) and 

42 Code of Federal Regulations 71.20 & 

71.31(b) 

Requirement for Negative Pre– 

Departure Covid–19 Test Result for All 

Airline Passengers Arriving Into the 

United States From the United Kingdom 

(UK) 

Summary 

Pursuant to 42 CFR 71.20 and as set 

forth in greater detail below, this Notice 

and Order prohibit the introduction into 

the United States of any airline 

passenger departing from the UK unless 

the passenger has a negative predeparture test result for COVID–19. The 

test must be a viral test that was 

conducted on a specimen collected 

during the 3 calendar days preceding 

the flight’s departure (Qualifying Test). 

Passengers must retain written or 

electronic documentation reflecting the 

negative Qualifying Test result 

presented to the airline and produce 

such results upon request to any U.S. 

government official or a cooperating 

state or local public health authority. 

Pursuant to 42 CFR 71.31(b) and as set 

forth in greater detail below, this Notice 

and Order constitutes a controlled free 

pratique to any airline with an aircraft 

arriving into the United States from the 

UK. Pursuant to the controlled free 

pratique, the airline must comply with 

the following conditions in order to 

receive permission for the aircraft to 

enter and disembark passengers in the 

United States: 

• Airline must verify that every 

passenger—2 years of age or older— 

onboard the flight has attested to having 

received a negative Qualifying Test 

result. 

• Airline must confirm that every 

passenger onboard the aircraft has 

documentation reflecting a negative 

Qualifying Test result. 

Statement of Intent 

This Order shall be interpreted and 

implemented in a manner as to achieve 

the following paramount objectives: 

• Preservation of human life; 

• Preventing the further introduction, 

transmission, and spread of the virus 

that causes COVID–19 into the United 

States, including new virus variants; 

• Preserving the health and safety of 

airline crew members, passengers, 

airport personnel, and communities; 

and 

• Preserving hospital, healthcare, and 

emergency response resources within 

the United States. 

Definitions 

Airline shall have the same definition 

as under 42 CFR 71.1(b). 

Attest/Attestation means having 

completed the attestation in Attachment 

A. Such attestation may be completed in 

written or electronic form. The 

attestation is a statement, writing, entry, 

or other representation under 18 U.S.C. 

1001. 

Confirm that every passenger onboard 

the aircraft has documentation 

reflecting a negative Qualifying Test 

result means confirmation that: 

(1) The personal identifiers (e.g., 

name and date of birth) on the 

Qualifying Test result match the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
86934 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 251 / Thursday, December 31, 2020 / Notices 

1https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_

industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_

safos/media/2020/SAFO20009.pdf. 

2https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pheinvestigating-a-novel-variant-of-covid-19. 

3https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publicationsdata/threat-assessment-brief-rapid-increase-sarscov-2-variant-united-kingdom. 

4On December 20, 2020, Austria, Belgium, Italy, 

Ireland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands 

announced travel bans from the United Kingdom. 

The measures vary in scope and generally are shortterm. The Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Latvia, 

Estonia, and Czech Republic also announced new 

travel restrictions, testing requirements, and 

quarantine rules. Bulgaria suspended flights to and 

from the UK until January 31, 2021, one of the 

longer bans announced. Greece issued new rules 

requiring a seven-day quarantine for travelers from 

the UK, rather than the current three-day period, 

starting December 21, 2020. Turkey has temporarily 

banned all flights from the UK, as has Switzerland. 

5https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidentialactions/proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrantsnonimmigrants-certain-additional-persons-poserisk-transmitting-coronavirus-2/. 

6https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ 

travelers/testing-air-travel.html. 

7 Johansson MA, Wolford H., Paul P., et al. 

Reducing travel-related SARS–CoV–2 transmission 

with layered mitigation measures: Symptom 

monitoring, quarantine, and testing, available at 

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/ 

2020.11.23.20237412v1. 

8https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ifyou-are-sick/end-home-isolation.html. 

personal identifiers on the passenger’s 

passport or other travel documents; 

(2) the specimen was collected within 

3 calendar days of the flight’s departure; 

(3) the test performed was a viral test 

(as defined below); and 

(4) the test result states ‘‘NEGATIVE,’’ 

‘‘SARS–CoV–2 RNA NOT DETECTED,’’ 

or ‘‘SARS–CoV–2 ANTIGEN NOT 

DETECTED.’’ 

Negative Pre-departure Test Result for 

COVID–19 or negative Qualifying Test 

result means documentation of a 

negative COVID–19 test taken within 3 

calendar days of a flight’s departure. 

Such documentation may be in paper or 

electronic formats as required by this 

Order. Testing must be performed using 

a viral test. The documentation must 

include sufficient verification 

information—such as the name and 

contact information for the laboratory or 

healthcare personnel who performed the 

test. 

United Kingdom means the United 

Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern 

Ireland, commonly known as the United 

Kingdom and consisting of the countries 

of England, Scotland, Wales, and 

Northern Ireland. 

United States has the same meaning 

as in 42 CFR 71.1(b). 

Viral test means a viral detection test 

for current infection (i.e., a nucleic acid 

amplification test or a viral antigen test) 

approved or authorized by the relevant 

national authority for the detection of 

SARS-CoV–2. 

Exemptions 

The following categories of 

individuals are exempt from the 

requirements of this Order: 

• Airline crew members provided 

that they follow industry standard 

protocols for the prevention of COVID– 

19 as set forth in relevant Safety Alerts 

for Operators (SAFOs) issued by the 

Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA).1

• Passengers who originate on flights 

outside the UK but connect through an 

airport in the UK on a transit flight with 

a connection time of no more than 24 

hours. 

Background 

The COVID–19 pandemic has spread 

throughout the world. Individuals who 

travel may be at risk for exposure to 

SARS–CoV–2, the virus that causes 

COVID–19, before, during, and after 

travel. This could result in travelers 

further spreading the virus to others 

during travel, upon arrival in the United 

States, and at their destinations. 

Over the last few weeks, the UK has 

faced a rapid increase in COVID–19 

cases in South East England, leading to 

enhanced epidemiological and 

virological investigations. On December 

14, 2020, Public Health England 

announced that a new variant of SARS– 

CoV–2 had been identified across the 

southeast of England (i.e., Kent and the 

surrounding areas).2

While it is known and expected that 

viruses constantly change through 

mutation leading to the emergence of 

new variants, preliminary analysis in 

the UK suggests that this SARS-CoV–2 

variant may be more transmissible than 

previously circulating variants, with an 

estimated potential to increase the 

reproductive number (R0) by 0.4 or 

greater with an estimated increased 

transmissibility of up to 70 percent.3

This new variant has emerged at a time 

of the year when there has traditionally 

been increased family and social 

mixing, and travel. 

On December 19, 2020, in response to 

the emergence of this new variant, the 

countries comprising the UK announced 

stricter measures to be applied from 

December 20 and over the coming 

weeks, with affected areas going into a 

‘Tier 4’ level with movement 

restrictions within and between more 

and less heavily affected areas. These 

measures have included 

recommendations for residents of the 

most affected areas to restrict 

movements and travel, including 

international travel, outside of these 

areas. The government of Scotland 

announced a travel ban between 

Scotland and the rest of the UK. In 

addition, the Netherlands issued a travel 

ban from the UK effective through 

January 1, 2021, and Belgium halted 

flight and train travel from the UK. 

Other countries have taken similar 

measures to restrict travel from the UK.4

On March 14, 2020, the United States 

issued a ‘‘Proclamation on the 

Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and 

Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional 

Persons Who Pose a Risk of 

Transmitting Coronavirus’’ applicable to 

the UK.5 While this suspension remains 

in place and has slowed the 

introduction of travelers into the United 

States from the UK, the suspension does 

not apply to U.S. persons and contains 

other exemptions for eligible travelers. 

Thus, urgent efforts are needed to 

mitigate the potential spread of this new 

virus variant into the United States. 

Pre-departure testing may detect 

travelers infected with SARS-CoV–2 

before they initiate their travel. CDC 

recommends viral testing and receipt of 

results 1–3 days 6 before departure for 

international travelers, particularly 

those traveling long distances or passing 

through transportation hubs such as 

airports where social distancing may be 

challenging. Such testing may reduce 

the risk of SARS–CoV–2 transmission. 

Testing does not eliminate all risk, but 

when pre-departure testing is combined 

with other measures such as selfmonitoring for symptoms of COVID–19, 

wearing masks, social distancing, and 

hand hygiene, it can make travel safer 

by reducing spread on conveyances and 

in transportation hubs. 

CDC modeling indicates that predeparture testing is most effective when 

combined with self-monitoring.7 Testing 

before departure results in the greatest 

reduction of transmission risk during 

travel when the specimen is collected 

close to the time of departure. Earlier 

testing (i.e., more than 3 days before 

travel) provides little benefit beyond 

what self-monitoring alone can provide. 

Travel should be delayed (i.e., 

individuals should self-isolate) if 

symptoms develop or a pre-departure 

test result is positive.8

Action 

For these reasons, I hereby determine 

that passengers covered by this Order 

are at risk of transmitting the new 

SARS–CoV–2 virus variant and that 

requiring such passengers to 

demonstrate negative COVID–19 test 

results is needed as a public health 

measure to protect the health of fellow 

travelers and U.S. communities. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 251 / Thursday, December 31, 2020 / Notices 86935 

1. Requirements for Airlines 

Any airline operating aircraft with 

passengers arriving into the United 

States from the UK, for each passenger 

onboard the aircraft arriving into the 

United States, shall— 

a. Verify that each passenger has 

attested to having received a negative 

Qualifying Test result. Airlines must 

retain a copy of each passenger 

attestation for 2 years. The attestation is 

attached to this order as Attachment A. 

b. Confirm that each passenger aged 2 

years or older has documentation of a 

negative Qualifying Test result. 

c. Not board any passenger without 

verifying the attestation and confirming 

the documentation as set forth in 1.a–b. 

Any airline that fails to comply with 

section 1, ‘‘Requirement for Airlines,’’ 

may be subject to criminal penalties 

under, inter alia, 42 U.S.C. 271 and 42 

CFR 71.2, in conjunction with 18 U.S.C. 

3559 and 3571. 

2. Requirements for Passengers 

Any passenger departing the UK with 

a final destination in the United States 

shall— 

(a) Provide an attestation to the 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, through the airline, of 

having received a negative Qualifying 

Test result. The attestation is attached to 

this order as Attachment A. A parent or 

other legal guardian must attest on 

behalf of a passenger aged 2 to 17 years. 

An authorized individual may attest on 

behalf to any passenger who is unable 

to attest on his or her own behalf (e.g., 

by reason of physical or mental 

impairment). 

(b) Retain a copy of the negative 

Qualifying Test result in his/her 

possession and present it for inspection 

to the airline and upon request by an 

agent of the U.S. government or a 

cooperating state or local public health 

authority. 

Any passenger who fails to comply 

with the requirements of section 2, 

‘‘Requirements for Passengers,’’ may be 

subject to criminal penalties under, 

inter alia, 42 U.S.C. 271 and 42 CFR 

71.2, in conjunction with 18 U.S.C. 3559 

and 3571. Willfully giving false or 

misleading information to the 

government may result in criminal 

penalties under, inter alia, 18 U.S.C. 

1001. 

CDC may modify this Order by an 

updated publication in the Federal 

Register or by posting an advisory to 

follow at www.cdc.gov. 

This Order shall be enforceable 

through the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 

3559, 3571; 42 U.S.C. 243, 268, 271; and 

42 CFR 71.2. 

Effective Date 

This Order shall enter into effect on 

Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 7:01 p.m. 

(EST) (12:01 a.m. on Monday, December 

28, 2020 (GMT)) and shall remain in 

effect until the earliest of (1) the 

expiration of the Secretary of Health and 

Human Services’ declaration that 

COVID–19 constitutes a public health 

emergency; (2) the CDC Director 

rescinds or modifies the order based on 

specific public health or other 

considerations; or (3) March 26, 2021. 

Attachment A 

Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to 

the United States of America 

All airlines covered by the Order must 

provide the following disclosure to 

passengers and collect the attestation 

prior to embarkation. 

Airline Disclosure Requirement 

As required by United States federal 

law, all airlines are required to confirm 

a negative COVID–19 test result and 

collect a passenger attestation on behalf 

of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC) for certain 

passengers on aircraft departing from 

the United Kingdom and arriving in the 

United States. 

Each individual 2 years of age or older 

must provide a separate attestation. A 

parent or other legal guardian must 

attest on behalf of a passenger aged 2 to 

17 years. An individual may attest on 

behalf of another passenger for whom 

the individual is authorized to submit 

the required information (for example, 

immediate family member(s), legal 

guardian, or travel agent), if that person 

is unable to attest on his or her own 

behalf (e.g., because of physical or 

mental impairment). 

The information provided must be 

accurate and complete to the best of the 

individual’s knowledge. 

Under United States federal law, each 

passenger must provide this attestation. 

Failure to provide this attestation, or 

submitting false or misleading 

information, could result in delay of 

travel, denial of boarding, denial of 

boarding on future travel, or put the 

passenger or other individuals at risk of 

harm, including serious bodily injury or 

death. Any passenger who fails to 

comply with these requirements may be 

subject to criminal penalties under, 

among others, 42 U.S.C. 271 and 42 CFR 

71.2, in conjunction with 18 U.S.C. 3559 

and 3571. Willfully providing false or 

misleading information may lead to 

criminal fines and imprisonment under, 

among others, 18 U.S.C. 1001. Providing 

this information can help protect you, 

your friends and family, your 

communities, and the United States. 

CDC appreciates your cooperation. 

Passenger Attestation Requirement 

I [name of passenger or authorized 

representative] have read the disclosure 

pertaining to my obligation to obtain a 

negative pre-departure test result for 

COVID–19 in order to board an aircraft 

departing from the UK and arriving in 

the United States. 

[ ] I attest that I have received a 

negative pre-departure test result for 

COVID–19. The test was a viral test that 

was conducted on a specimen collected 

from me during the 3 calendar days 

preceding the flight’s departure. 

[ ] On behalf of [lll], I attest that 

such person has received a negative predeparture test result for COVID–19. The 

test was a viral test that was conducted 

on a specimen collected from that 

person during the 3 calendar days 

preceding the flight’s departure. 

lllllllllllllllllllll

Date 

Privacy Act Statement 

The United States (U.S.) Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

requires airlines to collect this 

information pursuant to 42 CFR 71.20, 

71.31, and 71.32, as authorized by 42 

U.S.C. 264. Providing this information is 

mandatory for all passengers arriving by 

air into the United States. Failure to 

provide this information may prevent 

you from boarding the plane. 

Additionally, passengers will be 

required to attest to providing complete 

and accurate information, and failure to 

do so may lead to other consequences, 

including criminal penalties. CDC will 

use this information to help prevent the 

introduction, transmission, and spread 

of communicable diseases by 

performing contact tracing 

investigations and notifying exposed 

individuals and public health 

authorities; and for health education, 

treatment, prophylaxis, or other 

appropriate public health interventions, 

including the implementation of travel 

restrictions. 

The collection and use of this 

information is governed by The Privacy 

Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a. The 

information maintained by CDC will be 

covered by CDC’s System of Records No. 

09–20–0171, Quarantine- and TravelerRelated Activities, Including Records for 

Contact Tracing Investigation and 

Notification under 42 CFR parts 70 and 

71. See 72 FR 70867 (Dec. 13, 2007), as 

amended by 76 FR 4485 (Jan. 25, 2011) 

and 83 FR 6591 (Feb. 14, 2018). CDC 

will only disclose information from the 

system outside the CDC and the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
86936 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 251 / Thursday, December 31, 2020 / Notices 

Services as the Privacy Act permits, 

including in accordance with the 

routine uses published for this system 

in the Federal Register, and as 

authorized by law. Such lawful 

purposes may include but are not 

limited to sharing identifiable 

information with state and local public 

health departments, and other 

cooperating authorities. CDC and 

cooperating authorities will retain, use, 

delete, or otherwise destroy the 

designated information in accordance 

with federal law and the System of 

Records Notice (SORN) set forth above. 

You may contact the system manager at 

dgmqpolicyoffice@cdc.gov; Division of 

Global Migration and Quarantine, 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS 

H16–4, Atlanta, GA 30329, if you have 

questions about CDC’s use of your data. 

Authority 

The authority for these orders is 

Sections 361 and 365 of the Public 

Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264) and 

42 CFR 71.20 & 71.31(b). 

Nina B. Witkofsky, 

Acting Chief of Staff, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28981 Filed 12–28–20; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Children and 

Families 

Submission for OMB Review; Generic 

Clearance for the Comprehensive 

Child Welfare Information System 

(CCWIS) Review and Technical 

Assistance Process (New Collection) 

AGENCY: Children’s Bureau, 

Administration for Children and 

Families, HHS. 

ACTION: Request for public comment. 

SUMMARY: The Children’s Bureau (CB), 

Administration for Children and 

Families (ACF), U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS), is 

proposing to establish a generic 

clearance to collect information to 

assess regulatory requirements of title 

IV–E agencies’ Comprehensive Child 

Welfare Information System (CCWIS) 

and ensure that the CCWIS is utilized 

for purposes consistent with the 

efficient, economical, and effective 

administration of the title IV–B and IV– 

E plans. The information collected is 

intended to be used for review and 

technical assistance processes. 

DATES: Comments due within 30 days of 

publication. OMB must make a decision 

about the collection of information 

between 30 and 60 days after 

publication of this document in the 

Federal Register. Therefore, a comment 

is best assured of having its full effect 

if OMB receives it within 30 days of 

publication. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain. Find this particular 

information collection by selecting 

‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description: This initial request is to 

establish an overarching generic for 

CCWIS Review and Technical 

Assistance (TA) information collections 

and includes six initial TA tools for title 

IV–E agencies to self-assess their 

conformity to CCWIS project and design 

requirements at 45 CFR 1355.52–3. The 

initial six TA tools include intake, 

investigation, case management, 

adoption, foster care and service 

provider management, and 

administration. 

In the future, ACF will submit under 

this generic clearance mechanism 

additional TA tools for title IV–E 

agencies to self-assess design, data 

quality, usability, reporting, data 

exchanges, external systems, eligibility, 

finance, Child Welfare Contributing 

Agencies, and other tools, as needed, to 

assess new child welfare programs and 

modern system architecture. 

The CCWIS requirements at 45 CFR 

1355.55 require the review, assessment, 

and inspection of the planning, design, 

development, installation, operation, 

and maintenance of each CCWIS project 

on a continuing basis. The Advance 

Planning Document regulations at 45 

CFR 95.621 require periodic reviews of 

state and local agency methods and 

practices to insure that information 

systems, including CCWIS, are utilized 

for purposes consistent with proper and 

efficient administration. 

Respondents: Title IV–E agencies 

under the Social Security Act. 

ANNUAL BURDEN ESTIMATES

Instrument 

Total 

number of 

respondents 

Total 

number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden 

hours per 

response 

Total burden 

hours 

CCWIS Self-Assessment—Intake .................................................................... 55 1 10 550 

CCWIS Self-Assessment—Investigation ......................................................... 55 1 10 550 

CCWIS Self-Assessment—Case Management ............................................... 55 1 10 550 

CCWIS Self-Assessment—Adoption ............................................................... 55 1 10 550 

CCWIS Self-Assessment—Foster Care and Service Provider Management 55 1 10 550 

CCWIS Self-Assessment—Administration ....................................................... 55 1 10 550 

Future Tools to be Developed ......................................................................... 55 10 12 6,600 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES