Atlanta airport adding COVID-19 surveillance testing amid omicron concerns

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — With the new omicron variant to consider, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking another step in trying to make international travel as safe as possible.

A new measure at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is repurposing an XpresSpa into an XpresCheck, a COVID-19 testing location.

International travelers who Channel 2′s Wendy Corona spoke with liked the idea.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

“That’s what it’s going to take!” Landon Brooks said.

Brooks was traveling to Asia. When he returns in two weeks, he may very well be tapped for surveillance testing.

Hartsfield-Jackson is one of four U.S. airports, busy with international travelers, that will expand surveillance testing with XpresCheck COVID-19 testing locations, on site.

Working with the Atlanta-based CDC, they can quickly identify COVID-19 cases from certain international flights with early detection.

“So if somebody gets here and they test positive, they’re able to contain that,” Brooks said.

Earlier this week, President Joe Biden called the omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus a cause for concern, not panic.

TRENDING STORIES:

• ‘Armed and dangerous’ suspect accused of shooting 2 DeKalb County deputies killed in shootout
• Stacey Abrams announces second run for governor
• Child dead after crash with commercial truck on I-85 in Gwinnett County, police say

Tuesday, the CDC’s director said it will continue to work to make sure international travel remains safe. XpresCheck adds another layer of security.

“Yeah, I think that would be helpful and would just be easier access for sure,” international traveler Tucker Zdunich said.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Hartsfield-Jackson officials said Wednesday that their operations are as normal.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Nonprofit food truck hands out meals to frontline workers

©2021 Cox Media Group