Sep 29, 2020 - Health

Tampa International Airport to offer COVID-19 testing for travelers

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All people traveling through the Tampa International Airport will be able to get a coronavirus test on the premises starting Oct. 1, TPA and BayCare Health System representatives announced Tuesday.

Why it matters: Some destinations around the world already required travelers to present a negative coronavirus test upon arrival. Tamp's airport testing site is the first of its kind in the U.S.

Details: TPA, in partnership with BayCare, will offer a rapid antigen test and Polymerase Chain Reaction nasal swab tests.

Testing services will be offered on a walk-in basis inside the airport's main terminal from Oct. 1-Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. ET.
PCR tests cost $125, while the rapid antigen test has a $57 price tag.
All ticketed passengers who fly or have flown within three days and can show proof of travel will be eligible for testing at the site.
TPA advises those wishing to get a PCR test to do so three days before departure. Results will be available within 48 hours.

What they're saying: “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,” TPA CEO Joe Lopano said in a release.

Go deeper: Coronavirus has made airports happier places with less congestion

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Tampa International Airport to offer COVID-19 testing for travelers

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