GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Gerald R. Ford International Airport is partnering with TACKL Health to host a new COVID-19 testing site beginning Thursday, becoming one of the first airports in the country to do so.
The drive-up, no-appointment-needed site will offer both rapid antigen tests, which provide results in 15 minutes, and molecular PCR tests, which provide results in 24 to 48 hours, a news release said Wednesday.
Cost for the testing will be $75 for the rapid antigen, $125 for the molecular PCR or $160 for both tests. TACKL Health does not currently accept health insurance, though they are working on rolling that out soon.
Testing will initially be available from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
Those wanting to be tested do not need to have COVID-19 symptoms or a doctor’s referral.
“As we head deeper into the holiday season, we hope this service will give community members greater peace of mind before traveling or visiting loved ones,” said Stephen Clark, director of business development for the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority. “With so many test sites in West Michigan overloaded, this new site should help increase testing capabilities, especially for those who might not otherwise qualify.”
The site will be open to everyone in the community – not just those traveling through the airport.
“And we think here at the Ford airport, that these types of offerings, whether it be autonomous drones spraying disinfectants during overnight hours or using UVC lighting in our restrooms, or whatever have you, that's the future of air travel, and it's exciting that that future is here in West Michigan,” Clark said.
You do not need to pre-register before arriving on-site, but can create an account with TACKL to ease the process even further.
You can find out all the steps taken by the effort in response to COVID-19 at their website.