    [Federal Register Volume 85, Number 168 (Friday, August 28, 2020)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 53374-53376]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 2020-19010]

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    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    [60Day-20-20ML; Docket No. CDC-2020-0096]

    Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and
    Recommendations

    AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
    Health and Human Services (HHS).

    ACTION: Notice with comment period.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part
    of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the
    utility of government information, invites the general public and other
    Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or
    continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork
    Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed
    information collection project titled ``Cruise Operator COVID-19
    Response Plans,'' which will provide CDC with the ability require
    cruise ship operators to submit plans outlining their response
    procedures for preventing the spread of COVID-19 onboard, and for
    preventing the use of scarce U.S. domestic resources in response to
    COVID-19 cases originating on cruise ships.

    DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before October 27, 2020.

    ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2019-
    0096 by any of the following methods:
         Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the
    instructions for submitting comments.
         Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review
    Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road
    NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
        Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
    and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments
    to Regulations.gov.

        Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking
    portal (regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address listed
    above.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the
    proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan
    and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, of the Information
    Collection Review

    [[Page 53375]]

    Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road
    NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email:
    omb@cdc.gov.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
    (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from
    the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of
    information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires
    Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register
    concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new
    proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of
    information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information
    collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To
    comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a
    proposed data collection as described below.
        The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
        1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
    necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
    including whether the information will have practical utility;
        2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
    the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
    methodology and assumptions used;
        3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
    be collected; and
        4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
    who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
    electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
    other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
    submissions of responses.
        5. Assess information collection costs.

    Proposed Project

    Cruise Operator COVID-19 Response Plans--New--National Center for
    Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease
    Control and Prevention (CDC)

    Background and Brief Description
        Recent CDC actions in response to COVID onboard maritime vessels
    has shown that cruise ship travel markedly increases the risk and
    impact of the COVID-19 disease outbreak within the United States. If
    unrestricted cruise ship passenger operations are permitted to resume
    after the March 14, 2020 No Sail Order, infected and exposed cruise
    ship cases would place healthcare workers at substantial increased
    risk. Specifically, these cases would divert medical resources away
    from persons with other medical problems and other COVID-19 cases,
    consuming precious diagnostics, therapeutics, and protective equipment.
    Ongoing concerns with cruise ship transmission would further draw
    valuable resources away from the immense Federal, state, and local
    effort to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Further, the
    current ongoing non-passenger operation of cruise ships has not
    sufficiently abated the public health concern, as ship crews become
    sick and require medical care drawing on otherwise engaged Federal,
    state, and local resources. As operators of non-U.S. flagged vessels
    sailing in international waters, it is imperative that the cruise ship
    industry and cruise lines themselves take responsibility for the care
    of their crew and do not further tax limited U.S. resources during a
    public health emergency.
        CDC is therefore implementing a requirement within an extended No
    Sail Order that obligates cruise operators to develop and implement a
    plan that adequately prevents, mitigates, and responds to the spread of
    COVID-19 on board cruise ships and ensures that any disembarkation of
    passengers or crew is conducted in such a way as to not result in
    further spread of COVID-19. An appropriate plan shall not significantly
    burden U.S. government operations or the operations of any state or
    local government, including the U.S. healthcare system. The cruise ship
    operator shall further ensure that the plan is consistent with CDC
    recommendations and guidance for any public health actions related to
    COVID-19. As a condition of the granting of controlled free pratique to
    continue to engage in any cruise ship operations in any international,
    interstate, or intrastate waterways subject to the jurisdiction of the
    United States, the cruise ship operator shall present the plan, upon
    request, to U.S. Coast Guard and HHS/CDC personnel.
        Within these plans are notification requirements that obligate
    cruise ship operators to provide CDC and local health departments in
    the follow circumstances:

     Disembarking U.S. residents who plan to leave the ships and
    travel by private transport
     Disembarking crew to the United States for repatriation via
    non-commercial travel to home countries
     Crew transfers for purposes such as maintaining Minimum Safe
    Manning standards

        In addition, cruise ship operators can choose to submit an
    attestation statement to CDC attesting that their ship is free of
    COVID-19. If this is statement is accepted, cruise ship operators have
    the option to repatriate their crew via commercial travel.
        There are no costs to respondents other than their time to develop
    and submit the plan and the required notifications to CDC, U.S. Coast
    Guard, and the local or state health authority, as directed.

                                            Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Number of    Average burden
              Respondent                  Form           Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                        respondents     respondent     (in minutes)        hours
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Cruise ship operator..........  COVID-19                     100               1        2,400/60           4,000
                                     Response Plan
                                     (no form).
    Cruise ship operator..........  72-hour                      100               5            5/60              42
                                     notification to
                                     CDC of
                                     disembarkation
                                     or U.S.
                                     residents for
                                     private travel.
    Cruise ship operator..........  72-hour                      100               2            5/60              17
                                     notification to
                                     state/local
                                     health
                                     department of
                                     disembarkation
                                     for crew
                                     repatriation.
    Cruise ship operator..........  72-hour                      100               5            5/60              42
                                     notification
                                     for crew
                                     transfers.

    [[Page 53376]]

    Cruise ship operator..........  Attestation                  100               1           20/60              33
                                     statement of
                                     COVID-19 free
                                     ship (for
                                     repatriating
                                     crew via
                                     commercial
                                     travel).
                                                     ---------------------------------------------------------------
        Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           4,134
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jeffrey M. Zirger,
    Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific
    Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and
    Prevention.
    [FR Doc. 2020-19010 Filed 8-27-20; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4163-18-P