Story at a glance
- The pilot program will make both rapid antigen and polymerase chain reaction tests available in the main terminal.
- The rapid test costs $57 and the PCR swab is offered at $125.
- The antigen test can produce results in 15 minutes, while the PCR test takes about 48 hours.
Tampa International Airport will soon become the first airport in the U.S. to offer COVID-19 tests for all departing and arriving passengers, the airport announced on Tuesday.
A trial testing program at the airport will begin on Oct. 1 and offer both the rapid antigen test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to ticketed passengers who are flying or have flown within three days.
Our country is in a historic fight against the Coronavirus. Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
The rapid test will cost $57 and the PCR swab costs $125. The two tests will be offered daily on a walk-in basis from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. through October. Passengers can pay with a credit card and apply for reimbursement through their insurance company.
The antigen test could produce results within 15 minutes, but has a higher likelihood of a false negative.
The PCR tests can turnaround results within 48 hours. Passengers departing the airport to areas requiring negative PCR tests are advised to take the test three days before departure.
“As a gateway to the West Coast of Florida with a growing market for international travel, Tampa International Airport has a responsibility to explore safe, rapid and affordable ways to keep our travelers, their destinations and our community as safe and healthy as possible,” Joseph Lopano, CEO of Tampa International Airport, said in a statement.
The pilot program’s testing site, which is run by BayCare, will be located in the main terminal near the Airside F Shuttle.
The news comes as Florida, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus, is set to receive 6.4 million rapid tests from the federal government over the coming weeks to help the state protect nursing home residents and to test schoolchildren.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS RIGHT NOW
90 PERCENT OF CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS EXPERIENCE SIDE EFFECTS AFTER RECOVERY, STUDY SAYS
FAUCI SAYS NEW CORONAVIRUS ACTIONS BY FLORIDA GOVERNOR ARE ‘VERY CONCERNING’
COVID-19 TESTS THAT GIVE RESULTS IN MINUTES ARE GOING TO BE ROLLED OUT AROUND THE WORLD, WHO SAYS
NEW MODEL PREDICTS ‘HUGE SURGE’ IN COVID-19 ACROSS US NEXT MONTH AS CASES RISE IN 21 STATES
TRUMP SAYS HE MAY NOT APPROVE STRICTER FDA GUIDELINES FOR VACCINE APPROVAL
Published on Sep 29,2020