Oakland airport 1st in nation to sell COVID kits in vending machines
Covid tests at the Oakland airport. Jan. 27, 2021
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland International Airport on Monday announced that it is the first airport in the United States to begin selling COVID test kits in vending machines.
In a statement, the airport said that these contactless kiosks are located at both airport terminals.
The vending machines are selling kits called "At-Home Saliva RT-PCT" tests. Customers take the test on their own and then return saliva samples via FedEx. They'll get their results on a mobile phone app within 24 hours, said airport spokesman Robert Bernardo.
Test kits range from $130 to $150. Bernardo said that was the standard price of a kit.
The COVID test kits were designed by digital health company Wellness 4 Humanity. The vending machines are produced by Swyft.
"As one of the first airports to offer on-site rapid COVID testing, we are now providing even more testing options for travelers," Bryant L. Francis, Port of Oakland aviation director said in a statement. "We still urge travelers to make sure they are current on any quarantines and regulations at their destinations."
In October, the Oakland airport began offering free, rapid-result coronavirus tests to airport employees and the public. However, the testing is no longer free, Bernardo said.
Molecular PCR tests are $20 and expedited molecular PCR tests for travelers are $120.