Tampa International Airport, BayCare launch Covid testing for passengers
September 29, 2020 - Tampa International Airport will become the first airport in the United States to offer two types of Covid-19 tests for all departing and arriving passengers. TIA, in a partnership with BayCare Health System, will offer both a rapid antigen test and a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. PCR nasal swab test results are the most accurate and broadly accepted internationally, a news release said. Both tests are FDA approved. The testing services will be offered on a walk-in basis from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The testing site is located inside the main terminal near the Airside F shuttle. Interested travelers will be able to purchase either test regardless of which airline they're booked on, their gate location or destination, TIA said. The pilot program is open to all ticketed passengers who are flying or have flown within three days and can show proof of travel. The PCR COVID-19 test costs $125 and the antigen test costs $57.