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- Oakland International, in California, is the first US airport to sell COVID-19 tests in vending machines.
- The saliva tests require people to spit in a tube, return the sample to a lab, and wait 48 hours for a result.
- Prices of the coronavirus tests, made by Wellness 4 Humanity, range between $130 and $150.
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Oakland International announced Wednesday that it’s the first airport in the US to sell COVID-19 test kits in vending machines.
Passengers can buy the coronavirus test kits, made by digital health firm Wellness 4 Humanity, in both airport terminals via contactless kiosks, which are designed by software company Swyft.
The saliva tests require people to spit in a tube and send the sample to a lab by FedEx, Oakland airport said. Results of the COVID-19 test will then arrive via an app within 48 hours of the lab receiving the sample.
Wellness 4 Humanity’s tests cost between $130 and $150.
The coronavirus tests, which were authorized by the Food and Drug Administration in April, are 99.99% accurate, according to Wellness 4 Humanity. The company announced the rollout of the vending machine tests in December and were ready to use in New York City on Wednesday, per NBC News.
Other major cities across America, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Dallas, are also set to get them.
"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 the statement.
"We still urge travelers to make sure they are current on any quarantines and regulations at their destinations."
For travelers heading to Hawaii, the airport said the tests won't count towards Hawaii's pre-travel testing program, which requires people coming into the state to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure.
