Oakland International Airport Adds COVID-19 Test Kit Vending Machines
by Daniel McCarthy
Passengers traveling through Oakland International Airport will be able to take advantage of new COVID-19 test kit vending machines. Photo: Michael Vi/Shutterstock.com.
Add COVID-19 tests to the list of items you can buy in airport vending machines.
Oakland International Airport this week became the first U.S. airport to make COVID-19 test kits available in vending machines in the airport. Starting this week, passengers traveling through both of the airport’s terminals will be able to take advantage of new COVID-19 test kit vending machines that deploy at-home kits for passengers willing to fork over $130 to $150.
The test kits were designed by Wellness 4 Humanity, a digital health company that has already installed vending machines in Times Square in New York and plans to roll them out elsewhere, including in other airports, over the next few weeks.
The PCR test kits get results in 24 to 48 hours—passengers can buy the kits through Wellness 4 Humanity’s website. They’ll then be sent a QR code that they can scan at the kiosks where a testing kit will be deployed. It will then be up to them to complete the test and send it back via FedEx to Wellness 4 Humanity.
Guests will then get the results via Wellness 4 Humanity’s mobile app.
All kits, which can be reimbursed through health insurance, include a saliva collection kit, a user guide, a return shipping label, and a biohazard bag. All the kits are EUA authorized and fully validated, though they won’t satisfy requirements for going to Hawaii as it is not part of the State’s pre-travel testing program.
“As one of the first airports to offer on-site rapid COVID testing, we are now providing even more testing options for travelers, Port of Oakland aviation director Bryant L. Francis said in a statement. “We still urge travelers to make sure they are current on any quarantines and regulations at their destinations.”
The news comes as the CDC’s COVID-19 testing requirement for all inbound international flights comes into effect this week. While there is no current requirement for domestic flights within the U.S., there are rumblings that the CDC is considering implementing one soon.
