The Israel Airports Authority has published a tender for setting up a Covid-19 testing lab at Ben Gurion airport, which will operate according to Ministry of Health instructions. The results of the tender will be published on September 1 and the winner will be required to bring medical equipment and employees from abroad because the Ministry of Health cannot spare any staff. The winner of the tender will be the lowest price although passengers will be required to pay for the tests.
The winner will be required to have the testing laboratory and system operational within 45 days of signing the contract to operate the endeavor. In other words, in the most optimistic scenario, the testing lab at the airport is unlikely to be operational before November.
The Ben Gurion airport testing center and ab will be required to conduct tests on at least 800 passengers per hour and provide the results within 14 hours. Vienna airport, for example, provides test results within three to six hours and charges €190 per test.
Passengers will register for and undergo the tests using a special app. Passengers traveling abroad will be required to undergo two tests and for the first will travel to the airport 72 hours before the flight according to the demands of the country they are flying to. Passengers flying into Ben Gurion airport will be tested and receive their results 12 hours later.
The tender winner will be able to operate the testing center and lab for up to three years, with an option for two additional years. In the event that there is no longer demand for testing (introduction of a vaccine etc.) then both sides are entitled to cancel the contract.
The tender does not stipulate any price that passengers will pay for the testing but it is expected to be about $100 at first, and possibly going down over time to just $20 or $30. The testing and lab operator will be able to charge a 'fast track' price of up to three times the regular test for providing results within four hours.
The tender includes clauses for expanding the service to Ramon airport near Eilat and other international border crossings.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 9, 2020 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2020