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Israel reinstates PCR tests at Ben-Gurion Airport

Travelers returning from abroad can be tested for COVID-19 at the government’s expense. Testing is voluntary for now.

Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Aug. 21, 2022. Photo by Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90.
Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Aug. 21, 2022. Photo by Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90.

Ben-Gurion International Airport will reinstate a service on Wednesday that most travelers probably didn’t miss: PCR testing for people entering Israel.

The tests are being funded by the government and are voluntary, at least for now. The purpose of the program is to make PCR testing easily accessible for people entering the country ahead of winter when COVID-19 numbers are projected to spike.

In the first phase of the new rollout, testing will be carried out from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Later, testing will be available around the clock. Travelers who want to be tested can avail themselves of the service in the “G zone” of the arrival hall after collecting their baggage. Once incoming flights land, passengers will receive text messages from Israel’s Ministry of Health encouraging them to be tested before leaving the airport. This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.

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