COVID-19 testing services started to be offered at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday morning, with prices starting from VND540,000 (US$23.5).

All people traveling to and from Ho Chi Minh City are currently required to test negative for the novel coronavirus, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (AVC).

Although airlines have tried their best to inform passengers about this regulation, many still lack a negative COVID-19 test result when they arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The ACV thus decided to cooperate with the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control and Tam Anh General Hospital to run COVID-19 testing services at the airport’s domestic terminal.

The testing site is situated at gate D1, where passengers can register for the test, make their payment, have their samples collected, and wait for the result.

A rapid antigen test using test kits produced by the U.S.’s Abbott Laboratories costs VND540,000 ($23.5), while a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) one costs VND1.69 million ($74).

Passengers can also choose to undergo a real-time RT-PCR pool test of five samples, which costs VND3.95 million ($172) per group of five people.

A rapid test returns results after about 30 minutes, while people undergoing RT-PCR tests have to wait for four to five hours.

After being collected, samples are brought to Tam Anh General Hospital, about two kilometers from the airport, for tests to be conducted.

Passengers can receive their results directly at the testing site or have them sent via emails or text messages.

The testing area is open daily from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Vietnam had documented 29,103 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday afternoon, with 9,204 recoveries and 112 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health statistics.

The country has recorded 25,615 local infections in 58 provinces and cities since the fourth wave of transmissions broke out on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City is now the biggest epicenter with 12,658 cases.

Many hospitals in the city are operating rapid COVID-19 testing services, while real-time RT-PCR tests are conducted at nearly 30 healthcare facilities authorized by the Ministry of Health.

The health ministry has set the price for rapid antigen testing at VND238,000 ($10) and real-time RT-PCR testing at VND734,000 ($31) at these venues.

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