FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 13, 2020
Sean Parkin
CityHealth Urgent Care
510-984-2489
CityHealth Urgent Care Changes COVID Testing Protocol at Oakland International Airport
No longer offering free Rapid Molecular COVID tests due to manufacturer supply, changes to Hawaii Safe Travel restrictions.
Due to manufacturing limitations, unprecedented demand, and changes to Hawaii travel restrictions, CityHealth Urgent Care has been forced to alter its testing protocol at Oakland International Airport.
“Offering free Rapid Molecular COVID testing at Oakland International Airport was an initiative to assist travelers flying to Hawaii who were in need of last-minute testing,” reports CityHealth Urgent Care CEO Sean Parkin.
“However, we have been overwhelmed by people attempting to book non-travel-related COVID tests and have been informed by the manufacturer that they are unable to keep up with our demand for test kits. Accordingly, we have had to change our COVID testing procedure at Oakland International Airport to ensure equitable access to test kits and to comply with the State of Hawaii’s requirements.”
Those traveling to Hawaii will now have two options for testing by CityHealth Urgent Care at Oakland International Airport:
Those departing in less than 72 hours are advised to book a Same-Day Molecular PCR Test, with results typically returned within 24 hours.
CityHealth Urgent Care will administer the test for free, but there is a $120 lab fee for the expedited test, which will be collected by the lab (not CityHealth).
The Same-day Molecular PCR Test can be booked at bayareacovid19testing.com
Travelers departing in 3 or more days are advised to book a Regular Molecular PCR Test, which typically returns results within 48-72 hours.
There is a $20 administrative fee for this test to cover the cost of additional travel documentation now required to enter Hawaii.
The Regular Molecular PCR Test can be booked at bayareacovid19testing.com
Due to a recent increase in confirmed COVID cases, the State of Hawaii strongly recommends all travelers wishing to enter the State to have proof of a negative COVID test result before boarding a plane bound for Hawaii.
To comply with State recommendations, CityHealth Urgent Care will provide recipients of COVID tests (both Same-day and Regular Molecular PCR tests) with an official declaration of their results. Passengers must upload their results to the State of Hawaii’s Safe Travel website for permission to enter Hawaii. Passengers with a negative COVID test will be issued a QR code, which they must present in order to board any plane bound for Hawaii.
CityHealth Urgent Care has contacted over 400 people who have booked a Rapid Molecular COVID test at Oakland International Airport by email to advise them of this change and is working with manufacturing partners to secure additional test kits as quickly as possible.
CityHealth Urgent Care has also set up a COVID Test Helpline to assist travelers with inquiries about their tests. The email address is [email protected], and the staff is responding to emails as soon as possible.
An at-home test kit is currently being developed by CityHealth Urgent Care to assist travelers and anyone who is unable to get an appointment at a test facility. The at-home test is expected to become available on a limited basis in the coming weeks.
