Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Wednesday inaugurated a COVID-19 testing lab at the GMR Hyderabad International Airport, allowing passengers the facility of a safe journey.
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has partnered with Mapmygenome, an ICMR and NAB- certified lab for the purpose and it will operate 24x7 for passengers and airport personnel. Passengers can avail of the test at the immigration level or the forecourt of Interim International Departures Terminal.
Oropharyngeal swabs will be used for sample collection for the RT-PCR based test. Results will be available in four to six hours via e-mail and WhatsApp. A hard copy of the report will also be provided. A lounge has also been created at the western extended plate of arrivals for the passengers who can wait to collect their report, said an official spokesman.
“RGIA is one of the top airports and our COVID testing lab takes this to the next level. As a frequent traveller, I understand the importance of the lab on the airport premises. Our team of experts will make your journey hassle-free,” said Mapmygenome CEO Anu Acharya.
All arriving international passengers having onward connections need to have a negative RT-PCR certificate with tests conducted 96 hours prior to the departure time either from port of origin or test done on arrival at the RGIA to avoid institutional quarantine. This can also be of help to passengers if the destination country requires them to carry a negative RT-PCR report, he said.
“COVID testing centres at airports will play a vital role in enabling resumption of air travel. RT-PCR tests are accurate and widely accepted. We also appreciate the efforts taken by the government to flatten the COVID infection curve and restart economic activity. This has helped instill a sense of confidence in the public to start travelling again,” said GMR Airports chief innovation officer and executive director SGK Kishore.