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Dubai International Airport (DXB) in the UAE has introduced an in-house airport lab for conducting on-site Covid-19 RT PCR tests.
These labs are said to be some of the largest and the most advanced ones of their type globally.
DXB operator Dubai Airports has set up the laboratory in partnership with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Pure Health.
The 20,000ft² facility, situated near Terminal 2, will process the collected RT-PCR test samples from passengers at the airport.
Operating 24/7, the laboratory will deploy the latest WHO-standard Covid-19 RT-PCR testing equipment.
The facility has the capacity to process up to 100,000 samples per day and offer results within a few hours.
Equipped with negative and positive pressure rooms, the laboratory is connected to government reporting platforms.
This will enable the facility to share information between health and regulatory authorities and airlines in a secure manner. The laboratory is also expected to cut down waiting times for arriving passengers.
Dubai Airports chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “The drastic change in travel norms and the introduction of travel protocols including PCR testing have changed the airport experience of travellers around the world.
“The lab’s quick turnaround for processing test results will go a long way in helping us deliver a service experience the world expects from Dubai.”
Recently, Dubai Airports announced plans to re-open DXB’s Terminal 1 and Concourse D on 24 June after a span of around 15 months.