Airports And Covid: Checks, Safety, And Travel Requirements

As of March 2024, some airports are asking travellers to take a nasal swab test to check for COVID variants and other contagious viruses. This is part of a nationwide effort to track new and emerging infectious diseases. The swab and survey will take around two to five minutes to complete. The testing is currently taking place at Miami International Airport, but will eventually expand to other airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport.

COVID testing at Miami International Airport

COVID testing is available at Miami International Airport. The airport offers on-site COVID-19 testing to passengers, employees and visitors. The testing centre is located in the Central Terminal facility, operated by Communitel and Family Rehab, Inc. and can be found at MIA’s Concourse E ground level median in front of Door 11. The facility is open daily from 5 am to 10 pm and provides Antigen and Rapid PCR tests with results within 15 minutes, as well as PCR tests with results within 40 minutes. The airport also has a South Terminal testing facility, operated by Nomi Health, which provides Antigen, PCR and Rapid PCR tests daily from 7 am to 9 pm for walk-ins and scheduled appointments.

In addition to the testing facilities, some travellers flying into Miami from other countries are being asked to do a voluntary nose swab to test for COVID variants and other contagious viruses as part of a nationwide effort to track new and emerging infectious diseases.

COVID testing at John F. Kennedy International Airport

As of March 2024, some airports in the US are testing travellers for COVID-19. This includes John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, which is also sampling wastewater data from airplanes.

The CDC's Traveler Genomic Surveillance Program tests wastewater from airplanes, looking for pathogens that may have hitched a ride with passengers on long-haul international flights. This program operates with participating airlines at four major airports: Boston, San Francisco, New York's John F. Kennedy, and the Washington, D.C., area's Dulles.

In addition to the wastewater testing, some travellers flying into the US from other countries are being asked to do a nose swab to test for COVID variants and other contagious viruses. This testing is part of a nationwide effort to track new and emerging infectious diseases. The CDC says the swab and survey will take about two to five minutes to complete. Travellers who agree to the nasal-swabbing won't be told their results, but they will get a free COVID at-home test kit.

The CDC told the *Miami Herald* that its travel-based program is like an "early detection system" for the country. The program helped it "detect multiple Omicron variants up to 6 weeks before they were reported elsewhere in the United States".

COVID testing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is one of the airports that is sampling wastewater data from airplanes. The airport also offers ticketed passengers the opportunity to purchase a COVID-19 PCR lab test up to 72 hours prior to travel. Testing is available seven days a week from 7:00 to 14:00 in the central auditorium at SEA, which is located pre-security on the mezzanine level above ticketing and the security checkpoints. Testing is by appointment only and is limited to ticketed passengers up to 72 hours prior to travel.

In April 2021, XpresSpa Group, Inc. opened an XpresCheck COVID-19 testing facility at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The pop-up facility is located pre-security inside the terminal, in the Baggage Claim area near Carousel 9. Eight separate testing rooms provide the capacity to administer over 500 tests per day. COVID-19 testing options include the Rapid Molecular COVID-19 Test and the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test.

COVID testing at San Francisco International Airport

Some airports, including San Francisco International Airport (SFO), are sampling wastewater data from airplanes. Travellers flying into Miami from other countries are also being asked to swab their nose to test for COVID variants and other contagious viruses.

San Francisco International Airport has partnered with Primary.Health to provide a COVID-19 testing program for inbound international airport passengers. The program provides inbound international travellers with two free Abbott BinaxNOW test kits, which show results within 15 minutes, and a PCR test kit. The testing site is located in the International Terminal, Level 3, Aisle 6. The easiest way to get to the testing site is via the AirTrain.

United Airlines has also opened a new coronavirus test site at San Francisco International Airport. The company transformed the arrivals lounge in Terminal 3 near baggage claim into a COVID-19 test clinic that can administer more than 500 tests a day.

XpresCheck is another pop-up testing facility located pre-security, near the baggage claim area on the Arrivals level at Terminal 3. Nine separate testing rooms provide the capacity to administer over 500 tests per day. COVID-19 testing options include a Rapid Molecular COVID-19 Test, the standard Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test, and a new Rapid PCR test in the near future.

COVID testing at Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) offers rapid antigen COVID-19 tests, with results available in 30-60 minutes. The tests cost $80 and are available at the Terminal 6 lab location. The airport also offers rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) nasal swab tests, with results available in 3-5 hours for tests collected at the lab across from Terminal 6, and results in less than 24 hours for samples collected at the Terminal 2 and Tom Bradley International Terminal locations.

LAX has some of the most comprehensive COVID-19 safety procedures in the world, with the Department of Homeland Security ultimately responsible for COVID-19 safety throughout the airport. For domestic travel, fully vaccinated travellers who are not showing any COVID-19 symptoms are not required to quarantine. However, for international travel, it is recommended that travellers get a viral test 3 to 5 days after arrival. Unvaccinated travellers are subject to different quarantine requirements depending on whether they get a COVID-19 test after their arrival.

In addition to testing travellers, LAX is also involved in a CDC program that samples wastewater data from airplanes. This program is part of the country's efforts to track new and emerging infectious diseases.

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