Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti urged City residents to consider not traveling for the holidays, as the city, state and country continue to see increased cases of COVID-19. California Governor Gavin Newsom earlier issued a travel advisory and asked people coming into California to quarantine for 14 days and said residents should not travel out of state for the holidays. For those who must travel, beginning November 17, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will offer access to COVID-19 testing through a pilot program that will later be replaced and enhanced with a full, on-site rapid testing laboratory in early December.
“Testing is our first line of defense against the coronavirus – helping us track this virus and limit its spread – and any steps to expand our testing capacity can save lives,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “COVID-19 is still here and still dangerous, and building up our testing resources at LAX is a gateway to a stronger crisis response and a healthier city.”
The interim COVID-19 testing initially will be available for purchase at three locations:
- Tom Bradley International Terminal on the Upper/Departures level at the check-in counters located in Aisle C, along the north side of the terminal
- Terminal 2 Lower/Arrivals Level at the information booth
- Terminal 6 Lower/Arrivals Level at the information booth
Clarity Lab Solutions will offer FDA-approved COVID-19 tests using a standard Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) nasal swab test and provide results directly to participants within 24 hours.
“By providing easy access to on-site COVID-19 tests, we are enabling the return of air travel to destinations that require a negative test to avoid quarantines or other government restrictions and helping our guests who must travel during the holidays and beyond to do so safely,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports. “This is another example of leveraging partnerships within the private sector to deploy solutions quickly that will help us to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
The interim PCR tests will cost $150 each and will be available to anyone. Testing services will be offered seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on a walk-up basis.
Clarity Lab Solutions is certified by the State of Hawaii to provide COVID-19 test results in accordance with the state’s travel restrictions. Test results will be sent via email and can be used to meet the state’s requirement for a pre-travel negative test.
Following this first phase, LAX will scale up its COVID-19 testing capability in early December with the opening of an on-site rapid COVID-19 test laboratory. The lab will be located across from Terminal 6 on the Lower/Arrivals level. SG Blocks and Grimshaw are the developers of the test site and Clarity Lab Solutions will be the primary operator of the facility, which will offer both the PCR test and a rapid antigen test, with results available in just a few hours.
