Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Florida has launched the country’s first airport testing pilot that will offer two types of FDA-approved COVID-19 tests for all departing and arriving passengers. The airport has teamed up with one of the leading healthcare systems in West Central Florida, BayCare Health System, for the testing facility.
Passengers will be offered both the rapid antigen test and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests. Travellers will be able to purchase either test regardless of which airline they’re flying with, their gate location or destination, although PCR nasal swab test results are the most accurate and broadly accepted internationally.
The PCR COVID-19 test costs $125, while the antigen test costs $57. Testing services will be available on a walk-in basis from 1 to 31 October seven days a week from 8am to 2pm. Passengers travelling from Tampa to states, countries, or territories requiring negative PCR tests are advised to take the test three days before departure and can expect results within 48 hours.
“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 travellers, their destinations and our community as safe and healthy as possible,” said TPA CEO Joe Lopano.
One of the first heath care systems in the region to provide testing access to the community early in the pandemic BayCare was one of the early pioneers of drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites in the region. Since March it has tested more than 210,000 people for COVID-19.
BayCare’s Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer commented that, “We believe testing plays a crucial role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing travellers for the virus could help mitigate any potential spread in airports and planes.”
Underlining Tampa’s efforts to address measures to help in the fight against the spread of COVID-19, Gary Harrod, Chairman of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority which oversees TPA explained that TPA was one of the first airports in the country to mandate masks, install plastic shields and apply social distancing markers through its TPA Ready launch in April. “These innovative efforts go a long way in building traveller confidence and keeping our region safe as we continue to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.”
