[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23727-23728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09470]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Rescission of the Requirement for Airlines To Collect Designated 
Information for Passengers Destined for the United States Who Are 
Departing From, or Were Otherwise Present in the Democratic Republic of 
the Congo

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a 
component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 
announces the rescission of the requirement for airlines and aircraft 
operators to collect designated information for passengers who are 
departing from, or were otherwise present in, the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo (DRC) within 21 days prior to their entry or attempted 
entry into the United States. This rescission is based on the CDC 
Director's determination that such passengers are no longer at risk of 
exposure to Ebola virus disease (EVD) and that their accurate and 
complete contact information is no longer needed to protect the health 
of fellow travelers and United States communities. All requirements 
pertaining to Guinea remain in effect.

DATES: This rescission went into effect beginning 11:59 p.m. Eastern 
Daylight Time on April 29, 2021.

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: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On March 2, 2021, CDC issued an Order requiring all airlines and 
aircraft operators conducting passenger-carrying operations destined 
for the United States to collect and transmit, and passengers to 
provide, designated passenger manifest information to the United States 
Government for passengers departing from or who were otherwise present 
in the DRC or the Republic of Guinea (Guinea) within 21 days of the 
passenger's entry or attempted entry into the United States.
    Since March 1, 2021, there have been no new confirmed EVD cases 
reported in DRC and all contacts of cases that were being monitored for 
EVD have passed the 21-day incubation period. With no new cases 
reported in the past 42 days (2 incubation periods) no remaining 
hospitalized patients with EVD, and no contacts of confirmed EVD cases 
still requiring monitoring, the potential risk for Ebola virus exposure 
in DRC has greatly diminished.
    CDC has determined that this information is no longer required to 
be collected and provided to CDC by airlines and aircraft operators as 
stipulated in the Order.
    A copy of the Order is provided below and a copy of the signed 
Order can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-contact-information-ebola.html.

Order of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of 
Health and Human Services

Rescission of the Requirement for Airlines To Collect Designated 
Information for Passengers Destined for the United States Who Are 
Departing From, or Were Otherwise Present in, the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo

Under 42 CFR 71.4, 71.20, 71.31, and 71.32 as Authorized by 42 U.S.C. 
264 and 268

    Attention:
     All airlines and aircraft operators conducting any 
passenger-carrying operation destined for the United States 
transporting passengers who are departing from or were otherwise 
present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) within the 
previous 21 days of the date of the person's entry or attempted entry 
into the United States; and
     All air passengers destined for the United States who are 
departing from or were otherwise present in the DRC within the previous 
21 days of the date of the person's entry or attempted entry into the 
United States.
    On March 2, 2021, I, the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC) (Director) issued an Order (Order) under 
42 CFR 71.4, 71.20, 71.31, and 71.32 to: (1) All airlines and aircraft 
operators conducting passenger-carrying operations destined for the 
United States and transporting passengers departing from or who were 
otherwise present in the DRC or the Republic of Guinea (Guinea) within 
21 days of the passenger's entry or attempted entry into the United 
States; and (2) all passengers destined for the United States departing 
from, or who were otherwise present in, the DRC or Guinea within the 
previous 21 days. The Order required these airlines and aircraft 
operators to collect and transmit, and passengers to provide, 
designated passenger manifest information to the United States 
Government.
    The Order was issued in response to outbreaks of Ebola virus 
disease (EVD) that were identified in Guinea and the DRC in February 
2021. Experience with previous EVD outbreaks (including the 2014-2016 
EVD outbreak in West Africa) show that EVD can spread quickly between 
close contacts and within healthcare settings, often with high case 
fatality rates, and with substantial disruption and strain on 
healthcare services. Air travel has the potential to transport people, 
some of whom may have been exposed to a communicable disease, anywhere 
across the globe in less than 24 hours. The purpose of the Order was to 
ensure that health officials would have immediate access to accurate 
and complete contact information for passengers as they arrive in the 
United States to conduct timely public health follow up for anyone who 
may have been exposed to EVD.
    For the reasons described below, I am hereby rescinding all 
requirements of the Order pertaining to the DRC. All requirements of 
the Order pertaining to Guinea remain in effect.
    Determination:
    EVD is a rare and deadly disease in people and nonhuman primates. 
People can get EVD through direct contact with an infected animal (bat 
or nonhuman primate) or a sick or dead person infected with Ebola 
virus. Signs and symptoms of Ebola include fever, severe headache, 
muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and 
unexplained bleeding. The incubation period for Ebola, from exposure to 
when signs or symptoms appear, can be anywhere from 2 to 21 days. The 
average incubation period is 8 to 10 days.
    On February 7, 2021, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the DRC 
announced that an EVD case had been confirmed in Biena Health Zone, 
North Kivu Province. Subsequent cases were confirmed. North Kivu was 
previously affected by EVD during the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak, the 
largest in the DRC's history; this outbreak was declared over on June 
25, 2020. Sequencing of samples suggested that cases were linked to 
cases in the area during the 2018-2020 outbreak and likely caused by a 
persistent infection in a survivor that led to either a relapse or 
sexual transmission of the virus.\1\
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    \1\ https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/drc/2021-february.html.

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    Since March 1, 2021, there have been no new confirmed EVD cases 
reported in the DRC and all contacts of cases that were being monitored 
for EVD have passed the 21-day incubation period. With no new cases 
reported in the past 42 days (2 incubation periods) no remaining 
hospitalized patients with EVD, and no contacts of confirmed EVD cases 
still requiring monitoring, the potential risk for Ebola virus exposure 
in the DRC has greatly diminished. Therefore, CDC no longer requires 
contact information from passengers who were departing from or were 
otherwise present in the DRC.
    For these reasons, I hereby determine that airline travelers 
destined for the United States who are departing from, or were 
otherwise present in, the DRC in the past 21 days are no longer at risk 
of exposure to Ebola virus. Therefore, all requirements of the Order 
pertaining to airlines, aircraft operators, and passengers destined for 
the United States and departing from or who were otherwise present in 
the DRC are hereby rescinded.
    All requirements of the March 2, 2021 Order pertaining to Guinea 
remain in effect due to a recently confirmed case. The most recent case 
of EVD in Guinea was confirmed on April 3, 2021.
    CDC may modify this Order by an updated publication in the Federal 
Register or by posting an advisory to follow at www.cdc.gov.
    In testimony whereof, the Director, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, United States Department for Health and Human Services, has 
hereunto set her hand at Atlanta, Georgia, this 29 day of April 2021.

Authority

    The CDC Director is issuing this Order pursuant to Sections 361 and 
365 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, 42 U.S.C. 264 and 268, and 
implementing regulations at 42 CFR 71.4, 71.20, 71.31, and 71.32.

    Dated: April 30, 2021.
Sherri Berger,
Acting Chief of Staff, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2021-09470 Filed 4-30-21; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P