[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 54 (Thursday, March 19, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15714-15715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05783]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

19 CFR Chapter I

Transportation Security Administration

49 CFR Chapter XII


Notification of Arrival Restrictions Applicable to Flights 
Carrying Persons Who Have Recently Traveled From or Were Otherwise 
Present Within the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland

AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Transportation 
Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notification of arrival restrictions.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the decision of the Secretary of 
Homeland Security (DHS) to direct all flights to the United States 
carrying persons who have recently traveled from, or were otherwise 
present within, the United Kingdom, excluding overseas territories 
outside of Europe, or the Republic of Ireland to arrive at one of the 
United States airports where the United States Government is focusing 
public health resources. This document updates the previous decisions 
of the Secretary of DHS: To direct all flights to the United States 
carrying persons who have recently traveled from, or were otherwise 
present within, the People's Republic of China (excluding the Special 
Regions of Hong Kong and Macau) to arrive at one of the United States 
airports where the United States Government is focusing public health 
resources (effective February 2, 2020); to direct all flights to the 
United States carrying persons who have recently traveled from, or were 
otherwise present within, the Islamic Republic of Iran to arrive at one 
of the United States airports where the United States Government is 
focusing public health resources (effective March 2, 2020); and to 
direct all flights to the United States carrying persons who have 
recently traveled from, or were otherwise present within, the countries 
of the Schengen Area, to arrive at one of the United States airports 
where the United States Government is focusing public health resources 
(effective March 13, 2020).

DATES: Flights departing after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) 
on Monday, March 16, 2020, and covered by the arrival restrictions 
regarding the United Kingdom, excluding overseas territories outside of 
Europe, or the Republic of Ireland are required to land at one of the 
airports identified in this document. These arrival restrictions will 
continue until cancelled or modified by the Secretary of DHS and 
notification is published in the Federal Register of such cancellation 
or modification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew S. Davies, Office of Field 
Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at 202-325-2073.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many 
different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. 
While it is rare, animal coronaviruses can infect people, and then 
spread between people (human-to-human) such as with Middle East 
Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The United 
States Government is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory 
illness caused by human-to-human transmission of a novel (new) 
coronavirus (which has since been renamed ``SARS-CoV-2'' and causes the 
disease COVID-19), first identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 
People's Republic of China.
    The potential for widespread transmission of this virus by infected 
individuals seeking to enter the United States threatens the security 
of our transportation system and infrastructure, and the national 
security. Noting recent pronouncements by the World Health Organization 
(WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the 
novel coronavirus outbreak, including the categorization by WHO of 
COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and to assist in preventing 
the introduction, transmission, and spread of this communicable disease 
globally and in the United States, DHS, in coordination with CDC and 
other Federal, state and local agencies charged with protecting the 
American public, is implementing enhanced protocols to ensure that all 
travelers seeking to enter the United States with recent travel from, 
or who were otherwise recently present within, the United Kingdom, 
excluding overseas territories outside of Europe, or the Republic of 
Ireland are provided appropriate public health services.
    The enhanced arrival protocols concerning travelers with recent 
travel from, or who were otherwise recently present within, the 
People's Republic of China, excluding the Special Administrative 
Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, identified in the documents published 
at 85 FR 6044 on February 4, 2020 and 85 FR 7214 on February 7, 2020, 
also remain in place, except that flights are permitted to land at two 
additional airports pursuant to the notification posted on the Federal 
Register public inspection page on March 13, 2020. The enhanced arrival 
protocols concerning travelers with recent travel from, or who were 
otherwise present within, the Islamic Republic of Iran, identified in 
the document published at 85 FR 12731 on March 4, 2020, also remain in 
place except that flights are permitted to land at two additional 
airports pursuant to the notification posted on the Federal Register 
public inspection page on March 13, 2020. Travelers with recent travel 
from, or who were otherwise present within, the countries of the 
Schengen Area also remain in place, identified in the document posted 
on the Federal Register public inspection page on March 13, 2020.
    Enhanced traveler arrival protocols are part of a layered approach 
used with other public health measures already in place to detect 
arriving travelers who are exhibiting overt signs of illness. 
Additional measures include requiring carriers to distribute a Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health declaration form to 
passengers on flights originating in the People's Republic of China, 
excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, 
the Islamic Republic of Iran, specified countries in the Schengen Area, 
the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside Europe), and 
the Republic of Ireland to support CDC passenger health screening and 
contact tracing. U.S. Government Representatives will collect this form 
from passengers upon arrival in the United States. Other measures to 
protect the public include reporting ill travelers identified by 
carriers during travel to appropriate public health officials for 
evaluation, and referring ill travelers arriving at a U.S. port of 
entry by CBP to appropriate public health officials in order to slow 
and prevent the introduction into, and transmission and

[[Page 15715]]

spread of, communicable disease in the United States.
    To ensure that travelers with recent presence in the United 
Kingdom, excluding overseas territories outside of Europe, or the 
Republic of Ireland are screened appropriately, DHS directs that all 
flights to the United States carrying persons who have recently 
traveled from, or were otherwise present within, the United Kingdom, 
excluding overseas territories outside of Europe, or the Republic of 
Ireland arrive at airports where enhanced public health services and 
protocols have been implemented. Although DHS will continue to work 
with carriers to ensure that they identify potential persons who 
traveled from, or who have otherwise recently been present within, the 
affected areas prior to boarding, carriers shall comply with the 
requirements of this document in all cases, including when such persons 
are identified after boarding but prior to takeoff.
    On Friday, January 31, 2020, DHS posted a document on the Federal 
Register public inspection page, announcing the DHS Secretary's 
decision that arrival restrictions regarding the People's Republic of 
China (excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and 
Macau) would go into effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday, 
February 2, 2020, at seven airports. The document announcing this 
decision was published in the Federal Register on February 4, 2020 at 
85 FR 6044. On Friday, February 7, 2020, DHS published a document 
adding four airports to the list of airports where flights subject to 
the arrival restrictions are permitted to land and describing when the 
arrival restrictions would include those airports. See 85 FR 7214. On 
Friday, March 13, 2020, DHS posted a document on the Federal Register 
public inspection page adding two airports to the list of airports 
where flights subject to the arrival restrictions are permitted to 
land.
    As with actions related to the People's Republic of China, the 
Islamic Republic of Iran and the countries of the Schengen Area, DHS 
anticipates that airlines will be able to fully support implementation 
of these arrival restrictions.

Notification of Arrival Restrictions Applicable to All Flights Carrying 
Persons Who Have Recently Traveled From or Were Otherwise Present 
Within the United Kingdom, Excluding Overseas Territories Outside of 
Europe, or the Republic of Ireland

    Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1433(c), 19 CFR 122.32, 49 U.S.C. 114, and 49 
CFR 1544.305 and 1546.105, DHS has the authority to limit the locations 
where all flights entering the U.S. from abroad may land. Under this 
authority and effective for flights departing after 11:59 p.m. Eastern 
Daylight Time on Monday, March 16, 2020, I hereby direct all operators 
of aircraft to ensure that all flights carrying persons who have 
recently traveled from, or were otherwise present within, the United 
Kingdom, excluding overseas territories outside of Europe, or the 
Republic of Ireland only land at one of the following airports:
     John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York;
     Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Illinois;
     San Francisco International Airport (SFO), California;
     Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Washington;
     Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Hawaii;
     Los Angeles International Airport, (LAX), California;
     Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), 
Georgia;
     Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Virginia;
     Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), New Jersey;
     Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas;
     Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Michigan;
     Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Massachusetts; 
and
     Miami International Airport (MIA), Florida.
    This direction considers a person to have recently traveled from, 
or otherwise been present within, the United Kingdom, excluding 
overseas territories outside of Europe, or the Republic of Ireland if 
that person departed from, or was otherwise present within, the United 
Kingdom, excluding overseas territories outside of Europe, or the 
Republic of Ireland within 14 days of the date of the person's entry or 
attempted entry into the United States.
    For purposes of this document, crew and flights carrying only cargo 
(i.e., no passengers or non-crew) are excluded from the applicable 
measures set forth in this notice.
    This direction is subject to any changes to the airport landing 
destination that may be required for aircraft and/or airspace safety, 
as directed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
    This list of affected airports may be modified by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services and the Secretary of Transportation. This list of 
affected airports may be modified by an updated publication in the 
Federal Register or by posting an advisory to follow at www.cbp.gov. 
The restrictions will remain in effect until superseded, modified, or 
revoked by publication in the Federal Register.
    For purposes of this Federal Register document, ``United States'' 
means the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and 
territories and possessions of the United States (including Puerto 
Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam).
    The Acting Secretary of DHS, Chad F. Wolf, having reviewed and 
approved this document, is delegating the authority to electronically 
sign this document to Christina E. McDonald, who is the Federal 
Register Liaison for DHS, for purposes of publication in the Federal 
Register.

Christina E. McDonald,
Federal Register Liaison, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2020-05783 Filed 3-16-20; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 9111-14-P 9110-05-P