SANTA ANA, Calif.—As travelers pack their bags for the holiday getaway, John Wayne Airport is offering free self-collection COVID-19 testing kits to travelers beginning Dec. 8.
“The holidays are about spending quality time with family and friends,” County Supervisor Doug Chaffee said in a statement. “This is also a time for us to come together and protect our loved ones.”
Partnering with the Orange County Health Care Agency, the program follows the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guideline for unvaccinated and vaccinated travelers to get tested three to five days after travel.
Travelers can pick up their test kits at Terminals A and C baggage claim areas in the airport while supplies last.
People arriving from areas of focus, such as Canada and Mexico, are encouraged to do the testing, Dr. Margaret Bredehoft, deputy director of the health care agency, told The Epoch Times.
The self-collection test kits come with pre-paid shipping return labels. Once samples are received at the return address, results will be made available within 24 to 48 hours, Bredehoft said.
County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett also applauded the partnership as over 5.8 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted throughout the county.
“This collaboration between [the Orange County Health Care Agency] and [John Wayne Airport] will help ensure that people continue to have the resources available to keep getting tested and prevent the spread of COVID,” Bartlett said in a statement.
