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| Airlines Refused to Collect Passenger Data That Could Aid Coronavirus Fight | Airlines Refused to Collect Passenger Data That Could Aid Coronavirus Fight |
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| For 15 years, the U.S. government has been pressing airlines to prepare for a possible pandemic by collecting passengers’ contact information so that public-health authorities could track down people exposed to a contagious virus. | For 15 years, the U.S. government has been pressing airlines to prepare for a possible pandemic by collecting passengers’ contact information so that public-health authorities could track down people exposed to a contagious virus. |
| The airlines have repeatedly refused, even this month as the coronavirus proliferated across the United States. Now the country is paying a price. | The airlines have repeatedly refused, even this month as the coronavirus proliferated across the United States. Now the country is paying a price. |
| As the coronavirus spread into the United States this year, the federal government was not able to get in touch with or monitor airline passengers who might have been exposed to the disease or were carrying it into new communities. | As the coronavirus spread into the United States this year, the federal government was not able to get in touch with or monitor airline passengers who might have been exposed to the disease or were carrying it into new communities. |
| Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services have spent years warning airlines that they have complete contact information for only about half of their passengers, those who book flights directly through the airlines as opposed to third-party ticketing websites like Travelocity. During the Ebola outbreak in 2014, for example, the scarcity of contact information handicapped the C.D.C. as it tried to reach Americans who might have been exposed to the virus, according to three government officials. | Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services have spent years warning airlines that they have complete contact information for only about half of their passengers, those who book flights directly through the airlines as opposed to third-party ticketing websites like Travelocity. During the Ebola outbreak in 2014, for example, the scarcity of contact information handicapped the C.D.C. as it tried to reach Americans who might have been exposed to the virus, according to three government officials. |
| But airline executives and lobbyists have protested that it would be expensive and time-consuming for them to start collecting basic information like email addresses and phone numbers for all passengers. | But airline executives and lobbyists have protested that it would be expensive and time-consuming for them to start collecting basic information like email addresses and phone numbers for all passengers. |
| The lobbying has worked. Over the past 15 years, the industry has beaten back proposed rules and legislation that would have compelled airlines to collect contact information before passengers board flights. Even last week, as Congress approved tens of billions of dollars in aid to the industry, the airlines helped derail an attempt by the Trump administration to require them to start compiling such information. | The lobbying has worked. Over the past 15 years, the industry has beaten back proposed rules and legislation that would have compelled airlines to collect contact information before passengers board flights. Even last week, as Congress approved tens of billions of dollars in aid to the industry, the airlines helped derail an attempt by the Trump administration to require them to start compiling such information. |
| While the government has access to flight manifests showing who is on board each flight, and where they sit, there is sufficient contact information for only about half of the passengers on any given flight. If a passenger later tested positive for the coronavirus, government officials said, they would struggle to get in touch with people who sat near that passenger to see if they, too, had been infected. | While the government has access to flight manifests showing who is on board each flight, and where they sit, there is sufficient contact information for only about half of the passengers on any given flight. If a passenger later tested positive for the coronavirus, government officials said, they would struggle to get in touch with people who sat near that passenger to see if they, too, had been infected. |
| Current and former officials at the C.D.C. said in interviews that the lack of information compromised their ability to perform contact tracing of airline passengers, a tactic that helped combat the coronavirus in countries like South Korea. | Current and former officials at the C.D.C. said in interviews that the lack of information compromised their ability to perform contact tracing of airline passengers, a tactic that helped combat the coronavirus in countries like South Korea. |
| “Contact tracing is really hard. You have to find people, build their trust and keep in touch with them,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, who ran the C.D.C. during the Obama administration. “This is the bread and butter of public health, and every little bit you can do to give you a lead helps.” | “Contact tracing is really hard. You have to find people, build their trust and keep in touch with them,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, who ran the C.D.C. during the Obama administration. “This is the bread and butter of public health, and every little bit you can do to give you a lead helps.” |
| The industry’s battle against collecting more information for the government dates back to 2005, when health officials were assessing their response to the SARS outbreak. | The industry’s battle against collecting more information for the government dates back to 2005, when health officials were assessing their response to the SARS outbreak. |
| At the time, officials at the C.D.C. made what they thought was a simple request of airlines: Hand over five pieces of identifying information for each passenger, according to two federal officials with knowledge of the discussions. The C.D.C. wanted people’s names, phone numbers, email addresses, the addresses where they would be staying in the United States and emergency contact information. All the airlines needed to do, the government said, was ask a few more questions when passengers checked in for their flights. | At the time, officials at the C.D.C. made what they thought was a simple request of airlines: Hand over five pieces of identifying information for each passenger, according to two federal officials with knowledge of the discussions. The C.D.C. wanted people’s names, phone numbers, email addresses, the addresses where they would be staying in the United States and emergency contact information. All the airlines needed to do, the government said, was ask a few more questions when passengers checked in for their flights. |
| The airlines balked: They said it would take months, if not years, to retool their computer systems to accept such information and to share it quickly with the government. | The airlines balked: They said it would take months, if not years, to retool their computer systems to accept such information and to share it quickly with the government. |
| By the time of the Ebola outbreak in 2014, there still was no system in place. When the C.D.C. asked airlines for more information to help find passengers who were sick or had potentially been exposed to Ebola, the airlines complained about “the burden and the privacy concerns” of providing that data, Dr. Frieden said. | By the time of the Ebola outbreak in 2014, there still was no system in place. When the C.D.C. asked airlines for more information to help find passengers who were sick or had potentially been exposed to Ebola, the airlines complained about “the burden and the privacy concerns” of providing that data, Dr. Frieden said. |
| “They were vehement about it,” he said. | “They were vehement about it,” he said. |
| In 2016, the C.D.C. wanted to mandate by law that air carriers collect and share such information. | In 2016, the C.D.C. wanted to mandate by law that air carriers collect and share such information. |
| The industry again protested. Lobbyists from Airlines for America, a powerful trade association, noted that about half of all tickets were booked through sites such as Expedia and Travelocity. Those companies, which compete against airlines for customers, are loath to share passenger data with rival companies that might try to steal their business. | The industry again protested. Lobbyists from Airlines for America, a powerful trade association, noted that about half of all tickets were booked through sites such as Expedia and Travelocity. Those companies, which compete against airlines for customers, are loath to share passenger data with rival companies that might try to steal their business. |
| In an October 2016 letter to the C.D.C. and Health and Human Services, Douglas Lavin, an executive at the International Air Transport Association, another airline trade group, wrote that the “C.D.C. has not adequately accounted for the industry burden and cost for collecting these new data elements.” The letter was signed by five airline lobbying groups. | In an October 2016 letter to the C.D.C. and Health and Human Services, Douglas Lavin, an executive at the International Air Transport Association, another airline trade group, wrote that the “C.D.C. has not adequately accounted for the industry burden and cost for collecting these new data elements.” The letter was signed by five airline lobbying groups. |
| In conversations with federal officials, the lobbyists promised that if the proposed rule was changed, airlines would come up with a voluntary solution within a year, according to a government official who participated in the discussions. | In conversations with federal officials, the lobbyists promised that if the proposed rule was changed, airlines would come up with a voluntary solution within a year, according to a government official who participated in the discussions. |
| Ultimately, the proposed rule was watered down. The final version, enacted in 2017, required airlines to report passenger information only “to the extent that such data are already available.” | Ultimately, the proposed rule was watered down. The final version, enacted in 2017, required airlines to report passenger information only “to the extent that such data are already available.” |
| The rule had almost no effect, because the airlines didn’t increase the amount of data they collected from passengers, according to four people familiar with the matter. | The rule had almost no effect, because the airlines didn’t increase the amount of data they collected from passengers, according to four people familiar with the matter. |
| Then, in January, the coronavirus arrived by plane in Seattle. | Then, in January, the coronavirus arrived by plane in Seattle. |
| In a series of tense conference calls that began in January, C.D.C. officials told Mr. Lavin and an Airlines for America lobbyist, Sharon Pinkerton, that the agency was planning to issue an emergency rule that would compel the airlines to collect and share detailed passenger data, according to five people who were on the calls. The C.D.C. argued that such resources were crucial for them to contain the crisis. | In a series of tense conference calls that began in January, C.D.C. officials told Mr. Lavin and an Airlines for America lobbyist, Sharon Pinkerton, that the agency was planning to issue an emergency rule that would compel the airlines to collect and share detailed passenger data, according to five people who were on the calls. The C.D.C. argued that such resources were crucial for them to contain the crisis. |
| Airline officials responded that it would be impossible for them to retool their computer systems, some of which were based on technology developed in the 1970s, fast enough to aid the government’s fight against the coronavirus. They presented two alternatives: Airlines could hand out paper forms for passengers to fill out and then the government could pay to have the data entered into databases. Or the airlines could quickly develop an app that the government could use to require that travelers provide accurate information in order to enter the United States. | Airline officials responded that it would be impossible for them to retool their computer systems, some of which were based on technology developed in the 1970s, fast enough to aid the government’s fight against the coronavirus. They presented two alternatives: Airlines could hand out paper forms for passengers to fill out and then the government could pay to have the data entered into databases. Or the airlines could quickly develop an app that the government could use to require that travelers provide accurate information in order to enter the United States. |
| “We have said we will do this, but it’s going to take 12 months,” Ms. Pinkerton, the airline lobbyist, said in an interview. “But we think there are better ways to do this.” | “We have said we will do this, but it’s going to take 12 months,” Ms. Pinkerton, the airline lobbyist, said in an interview. “But we think there are better ways to do this.” |
| The airlines found a sympathetic ear inside the Trump administration, including among senior officials at the Federal Aviation Administration. On conference calls with other government officials, Dan Elwell, the deputy F.A.A. administrator, made the case that it would be extremely difficult for airlines to redesign complex technical systems to gather the passenger information, according to two people with knowledge of the calls. Before joining the F.A.A., Mr. Elwell worked for two years as an executive at Airlines for America. | The airlines found a sympathetic ear inside the Trump administration, including among senior officials at the Federal Aviation Administration. On conference calls with other government officials, Dan Elwell, the deputy F.A.A. administrator, made the case that it would be extremely difficult for airlines to redesign complex technical systems to gather the passenger information, according to two people with knowledge of the calls. Before joining the F.A.A., Mr. Elwell worked for two years as an executive at Airlines for America. |
| On Feb. 12, the Health and Human Services Department issued a temporary rule requiring airlines to gather detailed passenger data. The rule expires once the coronavirus pandemic ends. | On Feb. 12, the Health and Human Services Department issued a temporary rule requiring airlines to gather detailed passenger data. The rule expires once the coronavirus pandemic ends. |
| Updated June 16, 2020 | |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| But the airlines said it would take a year for them to change their computer and other systems to enable them to start collecting the information, and in the meantime they are fighting to undo the rule. In a March 13 letter to the C.D.C. and the Health and Human Services Department, lobbyists from Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association said the airlines and travel agents would have to spend $164 million to buy more airport check-in kiosks, installing new computers and hiring more gate agents, among other costs. | But the airlines said it would take a year for them to change their computer and other systems to enable them to start collecting the information, and in the meantime they are fighting to undo the rule. In a March 13 letter to the C.D.C. and the Health and Human Services Department, lobbyists from Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association said the airlines and travel agents would have to spend $164 million to buy more airport check-in kiosks, installing new computers and hiring more gate agents, among other costs. |
| “The C.D.C. is using the Covid-19 outbreak to make airlines spend hundreds of millions of dollars to create new systems or modify old systems,” the lobbying groups wrote in the letter, which was also signed by the Regional Airline Association and the National Air Carrier Association. | “The C.D.C. is using the Covid-19 outbreak to make airlines spend hundreds of millions of dollars to create new systems or modify old systems,” the lobbying groups wrote in the letter, which was also signed by the Regional Airline Association and the National Air Carrier Association. |
| Ms. Pinkerton said on Tuesday that the Airlines for America lobbying group was close to finishing an app that the C.D.C. could use to solicit more detailed contact information from passengers. | Ms. Pinkerton said on Tuesday that the Airlines for America lobbying group was close to finishing an app that the C.D.C. could use to solicit more detailed contact information from passengers. |
| Government health officials said they didn’t think an app was a viable long-term solution because in-flight internet is often unreliable and not all passengers have smartphones, according to interviews. And the paper-based system would be too cumbersome to help the government quickly trace people who might have been exposed to the virus. | Government health officials said they didn’t think an app was a viable long-term solution because in-flight internet is often unreliable and not all passengers have smartphones, according to interviews. And the paper-based system would be too cumbersome to help the government quickly trace people who might have been exposed to the virus. |
| As Congress rushed to pass a huge stimulus bill last week, the government’s top health officials tried again to permanently solve their contact-tracing problems. In discussions days before the bill was pushed through, they asked Republican Senate staff members to include language that would require airlines to digitally collect traveler data in exchange for receiving the largest government bailout in history. | As Congress rushed to pass a huge stimulus bill last week, the government’s top health officials tried again to permanently solve their contact-tracing problems. In discussions days before the bill was pushed through, they asked Republican Senate staff members to include language that would require airlines to digitally collect traveler data in exchange for receiving the largest government bailout in history. |
| The C.D.C. was rebuffed. Senate aides were concerned about the privacy implications of such a requirement and didn’t want to impose extra burdens on an already distressed industry. | The C.D.C. was rebuffed. Senate aides were concerned about the privacy implications of such a requirement and didn’t want to impose extra burdens on an already distressed industry. |
| They also knew that two key senators — Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, and Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona — had questioned the idea. At a hearing in March, Ms. Sinema presented a letter written by the Airlines for America lobbying group, which suggested using paper forms or an app. In March, the two senators wrote a letter to Vice President Mike Pence saying that they favored a government-run app. | They also knew that two key senators — Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, and Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona — had questioned the idea. At a hearing in March, Ms. Sinema presented a letter written by the Airlines for America lobbying group, which suggested using paper forms or an app. In March, the two senators wrote a letter to Vice President Mike Pence saying that they favored a government-run app. |
| Ms. Sinema — who along with Mr. Cruz sits on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the airline industry — received more money from the Airlines for America lobbying group than any other member of Congress in 2018, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Mr. Cruz was among the top recipients of money from Delta and American Airlines that same year. | Ms. Sinema — who along with Mr. Cruz sits on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the airline industry — received more money from the Airlines for America lobbying group than any other member of Congress in 2018, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Mr. Cruz was among the top recipients of money from Delta and American Airlines that same year. |
| Ms. Sinema said in a statement that she had “worked across the aisle for weeks to convince the federal government to adopt an app quickly to make contact tracing at all ports of entry a reality.” | Ms. Sinema said in a statement that she had “worked across the aisle for weeks to convince the federal government to adopt an app quickly to make contact tracing at all ports of entry a reality.” |
| Lauren Aronson, a spokeswoman for Mr. Cruz, said in a statement that “while Senator Cruz understands the importance of contact tracing, thrusting an unfunded mandate that requires all the carriers to rework their entire I.T. systems, at a time when the carriers are hurting badly, was not appropriate or effective.” | Lauren Aronson, a spokeswoman for Mr. Cruz, said in a statement that “while Senator Cruz understands the importance of contact tracing, thrusting an unfunded mandate that requires all the carriers to rework their entire I.T. systems, at a time when the carriers are hurting badly, was not appropriate or effective.” |
| On Friday, President Trump signed a bailout bill that awarded the airline industry more than $60 billion in taxpayer funds. It did not require airlines to collect new information about passengers. | On Friday, President Trump signed a bailout bill that awarded the airline industry more than $60 billion in taxpayer funds. It did not require airlines to collect new information about passengers. |
| David Gelles contributed reporting. | David Gelles contributed reporting. |