Hartford HealthCare and the Connecticut Airport Authority have announced a partnership for a second COVID-19 testing site at Bradley Airport.
A drive-through COVID-19 testing site will be opening at Bradley Airport and it will be open to the public and also add capacity for airport passengers.
Hartford HealthCare and the Connecticut Airport Authority on Wednesday announced that a drive-thru site will open Monday at the airport’s Parking Lot 3 on Schoephoester Road. Testing will be provided daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
People coming for the test will remain in their vehicles and get a nasal swab test. Appointments will not be needed.
A doctor's order will not be required either.
Billing for the test is handled through individuals’ insurance plans and residents of Massachusetts will be able to use the site to be tested as well, according to Hartford HealthCare and the Connecticut Airport Authority.
During a news conference at Bradley International Airport on Wednesday morning, officials said coronavirus testing that has been available in the terminal for around a month and a half will still be only for people who are traveling through Bradley Airport that day.
Now that there will be a new testing site, the Connecticut Airport Authority is working with airlines to make testing part of the reservation process and alerting passengers who are booking flights that tests are available.
This comes as cases of COVID-19 increase and there is additional demand for testing.
The airport expects to see an increase in passengers next week as people travel for Thanksgiving, but travel will still be down around 65 percent from last year.
“While holiday travel is not anticipated to reach the levels of prior years, we have strong safety precautions in place to ensure the continued wellbeing of our passengers and the airport community,” Kevin Dillon, executive director of the CAA, said in a statement. “Certainly, traveling through Bradley International Airport this holiday season will not be the same this year. We ask passengers to plan ahead as much as possible and prepare themselves for what will be a different type of journey.”
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All passengers, employees and visitors at Bradley Airport are required to wear face coverings while at the airport and passengers are reminded to bring a face covering with them when traveling.
The airport authority said they have added cleaning protocols in high-touchpoint areas of the terminal and Plexiglass shield barriers and physical distancing reminders are in place. Passengers are asked to maintain a safe physical distance from other individuals as much as possible while in the terminal.
On-site COVID-19 testing is available in baggage claim. Passengers who are interested in taking a test after they arrive at the airport can find more information on the airport’s website and are encouraged to pre-register through the lab administering the testing.
Parking at the airport has been consolidated, with parking available in the garage for a reduced daily rate of $8. Passengers can learn more on this website.
A select number of concession and retail locations are open. Passengers can find more information about the status of certain restaurants/shops on the airport’s website.
The airport authority asks passengers, when possible, to use a mobile boarding pass and consider traveling with carry-on luggage only, to follow CDC-issued guidelines when traveling, such as washing hands frequently – and consider bringing hand sanitizer with you.
Family and friends who are picking up passengers from Bradley International Airport during the Thanksgiving holiday week are encouraged to use the cell phone waiting lot on Light Lane while waiting for passengers to arrive and retrieve any luggage. Parking in the cell phone waiting lot is free.
