Can you get a COVID test at the airport? Fort Lauderdale is opening a site this month
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will join Tampa International Airport as the second Florida airport to have a COVID-19 testing site on its grounds for travelers.
The Broward County Aviation Department plans to open its COVID-19 testing site at the Broward airport on Dec. 9, spokeswoman Arlene Satchell said.
The airport’s testing site partners are Spirit Airlines and Utah-based Nomi Health, Satchell said, adding that “the testing site will be open to all airline passengers that require this type of service, not just Spirit’s.”
Here are the details so far:
Where is the COVID test site at FLL?
The COVID testing site will be open to consumers that can provide proof of upcoming travel plans from FLL or nearby Miami International Airport and Palm Beach International airports.
The testing location will be in Terminal 3, pre-security on the lower level near baggage claim.
What hours?
The initial operating hours will be 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
What kind of COVID tests?
Two tests types will be offered by an online appointment system: Rapid Antigen (with results in 30 minutes) and a PCR saliva swab test with results within 48 hours.
How much do the tests cost?
The antigen test costs $69 while the PCR test is $99.
Information
More information about the testing site and an appointment link will be posted on fll.net and the airport’s social media accounts as it becomes available before opening, Satchell said.
What about MIA, PBI and TPA?
Miami International Airport spokesman Greg Chin said MIA is currently basing its operations on air travel recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is not providing on-site testing.
The CDC’s recommendation is for travelers to get tested one to three days before air travel, Chin said.
“To be consistent with the CDC’s recommendation, we encourage travelers to get tested before arriving at MIA, to avoid the inconvenience of rescheduling or canceling their travel plans at the airport if they receive a positive test result,” Chin said in an email to the Miami Herald. “We also want to avoid passengers testing positive at the airport and then potentially trying to move forward with their travel plans anyway.”
At Palm Beach International Airport, a spokeswoman told the Sun Sentinel a provider could be chosen in February.
Tampa International Airport’s testing site is in partnership with BayCare and is for passengers traveling to and from TPA. The airport offers the PCR and antigen tests, at $150 and $60, respectively, and suggests getting the tests three days in advance of traveling.
