The Chennai International Airport will soon set up a Rapid RT-PCR test facility, which will come as a huge relief to international fliers. Passengers travelling abroad, especially to the Middle East and from there to other countries including Australia, European countries, USA, etc, can avail the rapid PCR facility.
The airport authority received clearance from the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday, July 27. It also received a go ahead from the Indian Council of Medical Research. According to The New Indian Express, US-FDA approved equipment will be set up in the departure terminal of the International Airport for rapid testing.
“The facility is mainly set up for departees. Certain countries are demanding RT-PCR results within hours. It is called D-30. Which means that passengers have to test negative 30 minutes priort to departure. Some countries including the UAE have been demandig this. So the facility can be used by Dubai-bound passengers in the airport,” Chennai Airport Director Dr Sharad Kumar told TNM
With approvals received, the airport authorities are confident of getting the facility set up within the next two days. Passengers taking the test will get the result within 13 minutes. “Altogether we are looking at 20-30 minutes to finish the process, including waiting, filling up the form, taking the test and receiving the result,” Dr Sharad Kumar added. The facility will be set up by HLL which already has a regular RT-PCR testing lab within the airport. The rapid PCR test facility will be set up in the departure terminal.
The Chennai airport is yet to fix the cost per test for the rapid PCR facility. However, it will be more expensive than the regular PCR test in private labs, the price for which has been slashed to Rs 900 from the previous Rs 1,200.
“The Bengaluru airport has this facility and they are charging Rs 4,000 per test. We might be looking at similar prices in Chennai too, but we are yet to arrive at a number,” the Airport Director said.