DES MOINES, Iowa — Exemplar Care of West Des Moines has begun offering three different types of COVID testing to travelers at the Des Moines International Airport: PCR, rapid antigen and antibody.
International travel, as well as some domestic travel destinations, require a PCR test before travel is approved.
All ticketed passengers within 72 hours of travel are eligible to be tested at the easy-to-access airport testing site.
To book an appointment through the airport, click here. To book an appointment through Exemplar Care, click here.
"It gives them some sense of what they're currently dealing with ... whether they should be traveling or not," Exemplar Care CEO and Founder Dr. Jon Van Der Veer said.
The PCR test costs $90, rapid antigen $65 and the antibody test is $25.
"We worked really hard on getting the pricing as low as we could," Van Der Veer said. "We wanted to be reasonable so someone who may not think they need one, but said ok this is a reasonable price, wants to do it."
It is recommended appointments be scheduled online before travel, especially for the PCR test. However, for returning passengers, walk-in services for rapid antigen tests and the antibody test are offered on site.
PCR test results are back within 24 hours, whereas the other two tests provide results within an hour.
Airport testing takes place between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week.
All travelers opting for the tests should continue to observe CDC recommendations to mask, social distance and regularly wash hands, the Des Moines Airport Authority noted.
“As more people choose to travel, adding onsite testing helps us to provide convenience and safety in a rapidly changing travel environment,” Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin Foley said in a statement Thursday. “Wearing a mask and washing hands frequently remain critical in traveling safely, however through this partnership, travelers will also have the ability to monitor their health at the beginning of their trip as well as upon their return.”
Watch: Gov. Kim Reynolds holds COVID-19 press conference (March 3, 2021)
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