Delta Teams Up with CVS Health To Test Employees for COVID-19 in Just 15 Minutes

Delta employees will now be able to receive results for a COVID-19 test in just 15 minutes.

In a new partnership with CVS Health and their “Health Return Ready” initiative, a CVS Health clinician will be stationed at at Delta’s hub crew lounges to do rapid-response nasal swab tests for employees.

The onsite testing is taking place at hub airports including Atlanta, Minneapolis, and New York.

“It’s not feasible right now for everyone to take a test every time they walk out the door,” Joanne Smith, Delta’s Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, said in a statement. “That’s why our baseline testing is so important, and we’re grateful to have partners who share our values and our vision to make testing easy and accessible to all Delta employees. We intend to use what we learn from this round of testing to make sure our re-testing program is one that continues to instill confidence among our people and with consumers about traveling with Delta.”

Earlier this month, Delta announced an initiative to test 100 percent of its workforce for COVID-19. All U.S.-based Delta employees can also take an at-home test upon request.

Employee testing is just one of Delta’s COVID-19 responses.

The airline also partnered with Lysol to assist in increased disinfecting of surfaces at the airport and in the cabin. Plexiglass safety barriers have also been installed at various points where customer-to-employee interactions cannot be spaced out.

Face masks are required during a passenger’s entire trip and capacity in the main cabin is capped at 60 percent through September to provide social distancing.

Emirates also introduced a rapid blood test in April for passengers, which would produce COVID-19 test results in 10 minutes, before boarding their flights.

Last month, airline executives in Europe and the U.S. proposed a joint COVID-19 testing program to reopen transatlantic travel. The proposed pilot program would allow travelers to bypass mandatory quarantine periods upon arrival if they have tested negative.