Q&As about the Interim Final Rule for Control of Communicable Diseases: Foreign Quarantine

A: Confirmed that transmission should be to CBP.  The airlines should transmit data using existing channels to CBP, if available. CBP will then relay that information through existing intragovernmental channels to CDC.

A: The existing, technical channels preferred by CDC are those currently used to transmit Passenger Name Record (PNR) or Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) data to CBP. For airlines that are currently electing to use the PNR data channel, airlines should input the designated information into the designated Special Service Request (SSR) fields (SSR DOCS, SSR DOCA, SSR CTCM, SSR PCTC, SSR CTCE, SSR CTCR) in the designated passengers’ PNR.  The attached PNRGOV specification (Print-only) pdf icon[PDF – 12 pages] provides the details for the SSR fields referenced above, with the appropriate format for each field. In the Other Services Information (OSI) segment, in order to indicate if someone has traveled to China within the past 14 days, airlines should transmit the following IFT segment: IFT+4:28::TP+CDC2019.

A: CDC cannot accept the required information via email. The information should be submitted to CBP via existing channels, such as those used for PNR or APIS data.  For airlines that are currently electing to use the Passenger Name Record (PNR) data channel, airlines should input the designated information into the designated Special Service Request (SSR) fields (SSR DOCS, SSR DOCA, SSR CTCM, SSR PCTC, SSR CTCE, SSR CTCR) in the designated passengers’ PNR. The attached PNRGOV specification provides the details for the SSR fields referenced above, with the appropriate format for each field. In the Other Services Information (OSI) segment, in order to indicate if someone has traveled to China within the past 14 days, airlines should transmit the following IFT segment:  IFT+4:28::TP+CDC2019.

A: Pursuant to the Order pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages] issued under 42 C.F.R. 71.4(d), airlines shall transmit the requested data in a format acceptable to the CDC Director, which is via existing channels, such as those already used to transmit PNR or APIS data to CBP.  CBP will then relay that information through existing intragovernmental channels to CDC.  For airlines that are currently electing to use the PNR data channel, airlines should input the designated information into the designated Special Service Request (SSR) fields (SSR DOCS, SSR DOCA, SSR CTCM, SSR PCTC, SSR CTCE, SSR CTCR) in the designated passengers’ PNR. The attached PNRGOV specification provides the details for the SSR fields referenced above, with the appropriate format for each field. In the Other Services Information (OSI) segment, in order to indicate if someone has traveled to China within the past 14 days, airlines should transmit the following IFT segment:  IFT+4:28::TP+CDC2019.

The Order currently applies to each airline carrying a passenger who has departed from, or was otherwise present within, the People’s Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within 14 days of the date of the passenger’s entry or attempted entry into the United States via that airline’s carriage.

Each airline must provide the designated Information for the duration of the January 31, 2020 Proclamation on Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Coronavirus. This order will cease to be effective when the Interim Final Rule at Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 29, ceases to be effective.

A: In accordance with the Order, each airline must provide Designated Information (as defined in the Order) within two hours of the departure of a flight carrying a passenger who has departed from, or was otherwise present within, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within 14 days of the date of the passenger’s entry or attempted entry into the United States via that airline’s carriage. Any delay in the provision of Designated Information Required by the CDC Order should not be allowed to delay the transmission of data CBP requires the airlines to provide for CBP’s purposes.

In determining whether to exercise its enforcement discretion, CDC will take into account the good faith attempts at compliance of any airline that has difficulty in complying with the requirements of the Order, the frequency of missing the deadline, and the willingness to work with CDC to get the required information in a timely manner going forward.

A: Pursuant to 42 C.F.R. 71.4 and the Order, airlines must provide all five data elements listed in 42 C.F.R. 71.4(e) and Paragraph 2 of the Order to the extent the information exists for a designated passenger.  At this time, there is no need to notify CDC about each individual for whom data elements are missing.

A: Airlines can submit additional questions via email to DGMQpolicyoffice@cdc.gov. Additional questions may be incorporated into this Q&As document, as appropriate and applicable.