Dec. 15—Travelers passing through Pittsburgh International Airport can soon opt to pay for a covid-19 test before or after their flight, joining airports worldwide now offering the tests to passengers, according to airport officials.
Testing will be voluntary for ticketed passengers and available from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to Blue Sky News, Pittsburgh International's news service. The service begins Monday.
Health insurance is not accepted, and the cost ranges from $95 for a rapid antigen test, $125 for a PCR covid test, and $175 for both tests. The rapid antigen tests give results in about 15 minutes, and PCR tests take one or two days.
"Whether people are traveling now or planning a trip in the future when they feel more comfortable, we want travelers to know that public health, safety and security are always our top priorities," April Gasparri, senior vice president of Public Safety, Operations and Maintenance, said in Blue Sky.
The testing site will be operated by TACKL Health, a Georgia-based health company specializing in large-scale medical testing. According to Blue Sky, the company plans to hire around eight employees — licensed health care workers — who can give 300 to 500 tests a day.
Positive results will go to the Allegheny County Health Department, not airport officials or employees.
Last month, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine issued an order requiring anyone coming into Pennsylvania to either receive a negative covid-19 test within 72 hours of traveling to the commonwealth or quarantine for two weeks upon arrival.
Airport officials said customer service calls and emails in the days after the order went into effect increased by 80%.
"People want to know if there are testing and quarantine restrictions when getting off a plane, and whether they need to present test results upon check-in or boarding," said Elise Gomez, the airport's customer experience manager.
Pittsburgh International joins a growing list of U.S.-based and international airports offering covid testing services, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and Hong Kong to Rome.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, [email protected] or via Twitter .
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