CDC: Quarantined travelers returning from China went untracked due to errors by customs officials
by Anna Giaritelli
| May 13, 2020 03:26 PM
California health officials struggled to track quarantined U.S. residents returning from China at the start of the coronavirus pandemic due to inaccurate and incomplete passenger information provided by customs officials at U.S. airports, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From Feb. 3 through March 17, the Trump administration ordered that all U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who had visited China within 14 days and were returning home had to fly through one of 11 U.S. airports, including two in California. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspecting returning travelers collected contact, health, and demographic information and then forwarded it to the CDC. The agency then passed that information on to California health officials, who were to follow up with people during their 14-day quarantines.
State health officials in 51 counties faced challenges when they attempted to track down travelers. More than 1,500 of the 11,500 passenger records were inaccurate, which made it impossible for local and state government workers to know whether those who had returned from China were sick or staying at home.
“Despite intensive effort, the traveler screening system did not effectively prevent introduction of COVID-19 into California,†the CDC wrote in its report. “Effectiveness of COVID-19 screening and monitoring in travelers to California was limited by incomplete traveler information received by federal officials and transmitted to states, the number of travelers needing follow-up, and the potential for presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission.â€
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/cdc-quarantined-travelers-returning-from-china-went-untracked-due-to-errors-by-customs-officials
