In an ongoing effort to enhance safety measures at its facilities and ensure that airport workers have convenient access to testing, a new XpresCheck COVID-19 testing facility has opened at Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport.
In its initial phase, testing is available to EWR terminal employees, airline employees, and airport workers through an expanded contract with XpresSpa, the parent company of XpresCheck. The new facility is screening up to 350 airport employees per day. Following the initial launch period, testing at EWR’s XpresCheck site will be made available to passengers.
“The Port Authority has taken proactive measures to provide a safe environment for both employees and customers, including piloting a partnership with XpresCheck to bring testing right into our airport terminals,” said Rick Cotton, Port Authority Executive Director. “We look forward to seeing the results of the pilot at Newark Liberty and to further conversations with XpresCheck. We hope to see testing capability expand as widely as possible.”
XpresCheck, which began as a pilot at John F. Kennedy International Airport, was one of the first COVID-19 testing locations at a U.S. airport. The JFK site, which is managed by JFK-IAT and XpresSpa, is now open to passengers in addition to airport employees for testing.
The site is a new modular site constructed on Level 3 in Terminal B. It provides nine separate testing rooms and is capable of conducting both COVID-19 testing and antibody testing. These services will be available to all airport employees, including airline employees, contractors and workers, concessionaires and their employees, TSA officers, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) agents. Both antibody testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing are available on-site, and the tests are sent to outside laboratories. All insurance plans are accepted outside of network and all information will remain private and HIPAA-compliant.
“Our airports are working hard to support the return of air travel to pre-COVID levels and making sure our customers and employees feel safe and confident when they come to one of our airports,” said Huntley A. Lawrence, Port Authority Aviation Director. “This testing site, which is also an example of our commitment to better serving our customers and employees, builds on our existing measures to improve the customer journey in every way possible.”
To maintain a safe environment for travelers and airport workers, the wearing of face coverings is required at all Port Authority airports. In addition, the agency has limited terminal access to ticketed passengers, employees and those with airport business. At Port Authority airports, terminal operators have increased the frequency of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting in all areas of the terminal including touchpoints such as escalator rails, elevator buttons, seating, iPads, and payment systems.
Plexiglass shields have been positioned strategically throughout agency facilities, including (but not limited to): Airport check-in counters, TSA security checkpoints, CBP facilities, and retail, food and beverage concessions, as well as AirTrain, Welcome Centers, taxi stands and other high traffic areas. Visual cues are posted in the airport to remind everyone to maintain a safe distance. Hand sanitizer is available throughout the airport. Gloves, hand sanitizer and face coverings are available for passenger purchase at terminal shops. Open concessions have contactless take-out available.
