Emergency (Revision) Request Memo 04DEC2021

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC)
Atlanta GA 30341-3724

December 4, 2021
Dominic Mancini
Deputy Director
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, DC
Subject: Request for Emergency Review and Clearance
Dear Mr. Mancini:
Pursuant to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) procedures established at 5 CFR Part 1320,
Controlling Paperwork Burdens on the Public, I request that the proposed information collection project,
Requirement for Negative Pre-Departure COVID-19 Test Result or Documentation of Recovery from All
Airline or Aircraft Passengers Arriving into the United States from Any Foreign Country and
Requirement for Proof of Covid-19 Vaccination for Noncitizen, Nonimmigrants Air Passengers Arriving
into the United States From A Foreign Country be processed in accordance with section 1320.13,
Emergency Processing.
I have determined that this information must be collected prior to the expiration of time periods
established under Part 1320, and that this information is essential to CDC’s COVID-19 emergency
response and the emergence of the new Omicron variant. While it is known and expected that viruses
change through mutation leading to the emergence of new variants, the emergent Omicron variant is
particularly concerning. CDC has determined that given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant,
requiring all air passengers two years or older to get a COVID-19 test no more than 1 calendar day before
the flight’s departure from a foreign country, is necessary to protect the public health of the United
States.
Evidence suggests that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how easily it spreads
or the severity of illness it causes. Given we are still learning what level of protection current vaccines
will provide against this newly emergent mutated variant, CDC took swift action to prevent and slow the
introduction of new cases and further spread of the virus by decreasing the window of time before all air
passengers coming to the United States by issuing the Amended Order: Requirement for Negative PreDeparture Covid-19 Test Result or Documentation of Recovery from Covid-19 For All Airline or Other
Aircraft Passengers Arriving in The United States from Any Foreign Country on December 2, 2021. The
amended Order takes the proactive approach of requiring the 1 calendar day testing measure to protect
the public health and will remain in place until more information becomes available that may alter or
improve the public health outlook.
This emergency revision request to OMB package 0920-1318 is being made as a result of the amended
COVID-19 testing Order. This revision strengthens already robust protocols in place for international
travel, including requirements for foreign travelers to be fully vaccinated in response to the Omicron
variant.
CDC cannot reasonably comply with the normal information collection clearance given the emergence of

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC)
Atlanta GA 30341-3724

the Omicron variant and the fact that COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread rapidly around the world.
As of December 2, 2021, there have been over 262,000,000 million cases of COVID-19 globally,
resulting in over 5,200,000 deaths. In the United States, more than 48,000,000 cases have been
identified, and over 775,000 deaths attributed to the disease.
Please provide an approval/disapproval determination of this request to collect information under an
emergency clearance by close of business.

Respectfully,

Digitally signed by Rima F.
Khabbaz -S
________________________________________
Date: 2021.12.04 11:12:22 -05'00'

Rima F. Khabbaz -S

Rima Khabbaz, MD
Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention