Tampa International Airport to Offer COVID-19 Testing to Passengers

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Sep 30, 2020 04:09 AM EDT

Airline passengers flying at Tampa International Airport can now get their COVID-19 test results.

On Tuesday, airport officials started a pilot program that offers coronavirus testing for all passengers who want a test. It made Tampa International Airport (TPA) the first U.S. airport to offer all passengers testing no matter their airline or destination.

TPA collaborated with BayCare Health System for a 30-day trial period.

"COVID's not going away any time soon and because of that we have to figure out how to adapt our lives to be safe," Dr. Nishant Anand, the chief medical officer at BayCare, said in a report.

Travelers can find the main terminal's testing area near Airside E and F and walk up without an appointment.A nurse will take you to a private room for a nasal swab after checking in.

Passengers can get the result in 15 minutes or two days, depending on the test. The airport offers the 15-minute rapid antigen test for $57 and the PCR test for $125.

PCR is considered more accurate and delivers results within 48 hours.To avail of this service, passengers must pay with a credit card and show proof of travel. Airport officials said travelers could get tested within three days before or after their flight.

"People just need more knowledge. If they know that they're positive, they won't go on the plane. If they know they're negative, they're going to go see their friends, their loved ones and say, 'I'm good,'" Joe Lopano, the Tampa International Airport CEO, said in a report.

Travel authorities said they hope the option will help restore some confidence in travel safety.Lopano said there would be 150 tests available per day for passengers. It could be adjusted based on demand. Lopano noted that they are scalable and flexible.

He added that they would see how it goes, adding that they think this is something that other airports around the country will emulate.

The testing area will be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Airport officials advise passengers to arrive early before a flight, as the process will take about 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Oakland International Airport will begin its free, rapid-result COVID-19 testing for its employees and the public.

Its airport officials said that the testing would start Oct. 6 at the North Field terminal complex at 9070 Earhart Road in Oakland in cooperation with CityHealth Urgent Care, which would be responsible for the testing.

Results will be available on the spot or through CityHealth's web portal.Airport officials assured passengers that CityHealth is HIPPA compliant.

Bryant Francis, Port of Oakland's director of aviation, said the Port of Oakland is everyone's port, and the Oakland International Airport (OAK) has been the people's airport since 1927.

All Oakland airport employees, as well as tenant airlines, concessionaires, and ground handlers, are eligible for testing. The public can also get tested by scheduling a time through CityHealth's website.

Oakland airport authorities urge travelers planning to go to Hawaii to use the free rapid-result testing at OAK before their trip.