The Covid-19 testing stations and laboratory at Ben Gurion airport will begin working on Sunday November 15. Omega's Check2Fly testing and laboratory will begin setting appointments for next week from Thursday.
The Ben Gurion airport-based testing service will charge NIS 45 for a test, with results within 14 hours, and NIS 135 for a test, with results within four hours. The testing and laboratories are operated by Omega in cooperation with Haifa's Rambam Medical Center, which won the Israel Airports Authority tender in July.
The testing will be conducted at a drive-in at the entrance to the Tamar car park near Terminal 3 or in the terminal itself for those without a car.
A ceremony to launch the service was held today at Check2Fly's Ben Gurion airport laboratory with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Health Yuli Edelstein and Minister of Transport Miri Regev all in attendance.
Regev said that opening such a testing service had been no easy challenge. "When the pandemic first hit a coronavirus test cost NIS 900 and it took 24 to 48 hours to get results and now we are bringing good news in terms of price."
We hope to shorten to two to three hours the time for getting results. Only in Israel and Japan are there testing laboratories at the airport."
In the first stage 10 testing stands will be placed in Terminal 3 in addition to the drive-in service. Passengers will be required to present a passport and payment receipt before undergoing the test and can await the results at the airport.
Testing is not compulsory before flying and is designed to serve Israelis traveling to countries requiring a negative test before allowing foreigners to enter. At a later stage the testing may be used for incoming tourists.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 9, 2020
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