Oakland airport 1st in nation to sell COVID kits in vending machines

Covid tests at the Oakland airport. Jan. 27, 2021

Oakland International Airport on Monday announced that it is the first airport in the United States to begin selling COVID test kits in vending machines.

In a statement, the airport said that these contactless kiosks are located at both airport terminals. 

The vending machines are selling kits called "At-Home Saliva RT-PCT" tests. Customers take the test on their own and then return saliva samples via FedEx. They'll get their results on a mobile phone app within 24 hours, said airport spokesman Robert Bernardo. 

Test kits range from $130 to $150. Bernardo said that was the standard price of a kit. 

The COVID test kits were designed by digital health company Wellness 4 Humanity. The vending machines are produced by Swyft. 

"As one of the first airports to offer on-site rapid COVID testing, we are now providing even more testing options for travelers," Bryant L. Francis, Port of Oakland aviation director said in a statement. "We still urge travelers to make sure they are current on any quarantines and regulations at their destinations."

In October, the Oakland airport began offering free, rapid-result coronavirus tests to airport employees and the public. However, the testing is no longer free, Bernardo said. 

Molecular PCR tests are $20 and expedited molecular PCR tests for travelers are $120.