Holiday travelers to Arizona will soon be faced with the option to be tested at the airport as soon as they disembark from their planes, Gov. Doug Ducey announced on Wednesday, The Washington Examiner reported.
Ducey explained that Arizona’s Department of Health Services (ADHS) will begin efforts to have COVID-19 testing sites available at some major airports, The Washington Examiner reported. Among the airports working with the ADHS to provide COVID-19 testing are Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, and Tucson International Airport, AZCentral reported.
Arizona to offer COVID-19 tests in airports for holiday travelers https://t.co/ww9tGlS81E
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 19, 2020
While the tests are not required, Gov. Ducey recommends that travelers to the state get tested upon arrival to ensure a fast turnaround. (RELATED: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Deploys National Guard To Airports, Warns People Not To Land Without ‘Proof Of A Negative Test’)
“This will allow incomers to get tested immediately with a quick turnaround,” the governor stated.
Ducey explained that the state was receiving an influx of holiday travelers, who primarily come from states with a higher number of rising COVID-19 cases, The Washington Examiner reported.
While the ADHS released new guidelines for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday which include; gathering in small groups, social distancing and wearing a mask, and moving meals outdoors, Ducey has stressed that these a recommendations.
“The guidance provided is pure common sense,” Ducey explained. “We’re asking the public to be smart and be responsible by following public health guidelines that Dr. Christ put together and limit gatherings inside your home.”