COVID-19 testing for travel can be a stressful experience, particularly waiting for your test results to come back in time. With the unveiling of a new lab at LAX, the results of PCR (nasal swab) tests will be made available to passengers within 24 hours, down from the previous 48 hours. In addition to PCR tests, rapid tests are also being offered, which yield results in three to five hours. Tests have been available at Terminal 2 for months now, but the new lab will markedly increase the efficiency of results.
Photo: LAX
LAX’s New COVID-19 Lab Delivers Rapid Test Results in Three Hours
Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer of Los Angeles World Airports, said in a statement last week, “As more destinations around the world integrate COVID-19 testing requirements for arriving passengers, and as passengers are choosing to take steps to monitor their health when flying, providing easy access to rapid testing is another way LAX can help bolster safe travel. In our continuous quest to innovate and reimagine the airport experience, we partnered with the private sector to design, construct and open a first-of-its-kind on-site laboratory that will provide an accessible and affordable rapid testing solution.”
Photo: LAX
The lab was built from modular shipping containers specifically for its location near Terminal 6. Visitors will be asked to wait under shade coverings while they complete their tests at one of four open-air collection windows. Test results will be transmitted to passengers electronically.
PCR tests cost $125, and it’s strongly recommended to book your appointment online in advance. 