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Courtesy Mayor Kirk Caldwell
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
A COVID-19 mobile testing lab was seen, today, at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Mayor Kirk Caldwell takes a testing kit from Holden Nakamura, lead trainer for Kalihi Kai Urgent Care, at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport today.
Update:
A new COVID-19 mobile testing laboratory has been built at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu to provide testing aimed for airport workers and first responders and government employees, for now.
Kahu Kordell Kekoa officiated a blessing ceremony at the lab today with a Hawaiian oli or chant. The mobile unit is located in the Diamond Head Tour Group bus area near Baggage Claim 31 of Terminal 2.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Gov. David Ige and other guests attended the ceremony.
The mobile unit is a fully integrated lab that will be able to test up to 10,000 people a day, said Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell in the livestreamed ceremony today.
>> PHOTOS: COVID-19 lab to test airport workers, first responders
The lab is aimed to provide testing to first responders and their families, airport workers, hospitality industry employees as well as employees in all levels of government. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
There are plans to eventually open testing at the mobile unit to the public.
Testing at the new lab operated by the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii began Sunday.PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are being administered at the site. The turnaround time for individuals to receive test results is three to six hours.
The city is also awaiting approval from the Hawaii Department of Health for the mobile unit to become a trusted testing partner for interisland travelers from Oahu.
At the ceremony, Ige said, “Protecting public health has been the highest priority for all of us. This facility really focuses in on that.”
Previous coverage:
Mayor Kirk Caldwell gave his weekly update on the status of Oahu in the COVID-19 Recovery Framework before a blessing ceremony today at the COVID-19 mobile testing laboratory at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
Caldwell will be joined by Gov. David Ige, Healthcare Association of Hawaii President and CEO Hilton Raethel and Glen Hayashida, President and CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii.
Watch the briefing via the video above, or go to Mayor Caldwell’s Facebook page.
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