PHOENIX — Health and wellness company "XpresSpa" announced Monday with the city of Phoenix that they are opening a coronavirus testing location inside Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport that will be able to test more than 400 people per day.
The company is converting a closed medical clinic in pre-security in Terminal 4, next to the PHX Sky Train corridor. The facility opened to the public at 12 p.m. on Monday.
The "XpresCheck Testing Facility" will have six testing rooms COVID-19 testing options, including a rapid molecular COVID-19 test, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test, and the Blood Antibody Test.
The company does the same testing at New York's City's JFK International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport.
“Widespread testing is one of the best ways to fight Covid-19," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a statement.
"The City of Phoenix continues to provide testing opportunities for all residents and looks for new, innovative ways to assist in slowing the spread. The city's newest partnership with XpresCheck will offer testing for airport employees, travelers and members of the public," the statement continued.
"These services will help restore a bit of normalcy and convenience to the airline industry by providing an extra layer of security and comfort."
Although the CDC is advising people not to travel for Thanksgiving, staff at Sky Harbor is prepping for crowds and a lot of traffic over the next week.
The city of Phoenix is also using Federal CARES Act funding to supplement the cost of testing for Phoenix residents who do not have health insurance that covers the service, through the end of December.
Residents can pre-book their appointments in advance or come in for a walk-up visit. XpresCheck will verify the patient’s residency at the time of the test.
“This is an important partnership that will benefit not only travelers and airport employees but city of Phoenix residents,” Phoenix City Councilwoman Laura Pastor said in a statement.
“I’m pleased that we will be able to offer free testing to city of Phoenix residents due to CARES Act funding that we received earlier this year. This is another way we are making it easier for our residents to get the testing they need.”
