Tampa International Airport becomes first US airport to offer COVID-19 tests for both departing and arriving passengers in its terminals
Tampa International Airport has become the first US airport to offer COVID-19 tests for both departing and arriving passengers in its terminals.
The airport announced Tuesday it has joined forces with BayCare Health System to carry out voluntary testing for any travelers who have flown or are flying within three days, and can show proof of travel.
Officials said they hoped the move will help restore confidence in the industry after travel ground to a halt back in March when the pandemic ravaged America and several international destinations.
Tampa International Airport has become the first US airport to offer COVID-19 tests for both departing and arriving passengers in its terminals. Pictured Registered Nurse and VP of business development at BayCare Donna St. Louis performs a rapid antigen test on Tampa International Airport employee Mary Baltzell at Tuesday's demonstration
Tests will be available on a walk-in basis from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at a testing site set up near the Airside F shuttle in the main terminal.
Passengers will be able to choose from two tests - a rapid antigen test and a polymerase chain reaction swab.
The rapid antigen test costs $57 and results are available in 15 minutes so passengers can be tested the same day they travel.
The polymerase chain reaction swab costs $125 with results available in 48 hours.
It is designed for travelers going to destinations requiring this type of test, such as Puerto Rico.
If a passenger tests positive for coronavirus they will be advised not to fly but the airport cannot legally stop them, reported Tampa Bay Times.
The Florida Department of Health will be responsible for carrying out contact tracing for any positive results.
Airport officials said they hoped the move will help restore confidence in the industry after travel ground to a halt back in March when the pandemic ravaged America and several international destinations. Pictured Tampa International Airport
The airport announced Tuesday it has joined forces with BayCare Health System to carry out voluntary testing for any travelers who have flown or are flying within three days, and can show proof of travel
The program is a trial running for the duration of October however Tampa International Airport's CEO Joe Lopano said it could be rolled out further if it's a success.
'This is just a test, but we think if it's successful - and we think it will be - we'll continue, and we'll grow it,' he said Tuesday as he announced its launch.
Lopano said the move should help ease traveler concerns about the risks of flying and international travel as cases and deaths continue to tick up.
'Our responsibility as good managers is to try to get out of this hole that we're in. And we're going to do that,' he said.
John Tiliacos, the airport's executive vice president of operations and customer service, said it could also encourage governments to ease international travel bans.
Florida has been one of the worst-hit states during the pandemic, with 704,568 cases and 14,143 deaths
'We get numerous calls every day from passengers that are flying to locations, whether it's within the US or outside the US, asking if we provide testing,' he said.
'It's something that frankly the travel industry has been trying to impress upon governments - both the US government and governments around the world - that we really need to implement some form of rapid testing that ideally gives you results on the spot.'
He added: 'We hope this becomes a catalyst for a broader national conversation that needs to be had regarding testing of passengers, so that we can instill confidence in people to fly.'
The airline industry was one of the hardest-hit by the pandemic back in March as borders closed, the federal government banned flights to and from some nations and stay-at-home orders left the few planes still operating empty of passengers.
Airlines cut thousands of flights and thousands of staff were laid off or furloughed to try to keep the industry afloat.
At Tampa International Airport, passenger traffic plummeted by a staggering 96 percent in April, triggering a projected revenue shortfall of almost $76 million for the fiscal year.
This forced the airport to put on hold $900 million in construction projects.
In May, the major airlines reached a deal with the US Treasury for $25 billion in federal aid to help pay workers and avoid massive layoffs in the industry.
As part of the deal, airlines were banned from laying off staff before October 1.
But, several flight bans with international destinations have rumbled on - even after lockdowns eased and infection rates in many affected areas slowed - meaning job cuts could be just around the corner.
Florida has been one of the worst-hit states during the pandemic, with 704,568 cases and 14,143 deaths.
Nationwide, more than 205,000 Americans have been killed by the virus and cases have topped 7.1 million.