COVID-19 rapid testing center opens at Ontario airport parking lot

ONTARIO, Calif. (KABC) -- A drive-through COVID-19 testing center that offers results within 20 minutes is now operational at Ontario Airport, allowing passengers to determine whether they are infected with the coronavirus before they travel.

"The idea is, how do we make our passengers feel as safe and as comfortable as possible during these very unusual times," says Ontario International Airport spokesperson Steve Lambert.

He acknowledges that even though the Centers for Disease Control has discouraged people from traveling, there are people who are going to travel anyway.

"Ontario Airport is going to handle 100,000 passengers during the Thanksgiving holiday," he says.

The operation is run by Covid Clinic, which offers a variety of services, including tests for COVID-19 antibodies.

"It's going to be nasal for this location, it's only nasal. So depending on the type of test you're getting it's either going to be a nasal pharyngeal, which is a longer swab, or it's going to be a cotton tipped applicator, which is a shorter swab," says Lambert.

The rapid COVID-19 test costs $150.

"And by the time you get to TSA you may have your results," he says. "The goal is to get them within 20 minutes."

The onsite testing center at Ontario Airport is open in parking lot 3, between Terminals two and four. Its hours of operation are 7 a.m until 9 p.m, seven days a week and appointments must be made online prior to arrival.