Riga Airport Expands Its Covid-19 Testing Options

A permanent E. Gulbis Laboratory patient reception point has been opened at Riga Airport, offering travellers and employees of the Airport and companies working at the Airport an opportunity to take various types of Covid-19 tests, as well as perform other types of medical tests.

The patient point is located in the Airport’s check-in hall, to the right of the entrance, where the former restaurant "TGI Fridays” was located. Taking into account the epidemiological safety measures in place at Riga Airport, passengers can visit the point not earlier than 72 hours before their flight and must present a boarding pass or booking confirmation before entering the terminal. The point will also be available to arriving passengers by presenting a boarding pass to enter the check-in hall, as well as to employees of the Airport and companies working at the Airport.

Passengers should apply for Covid-19 tests at the Airport patient point in advance; however, patients without appointment will also be served in free time between appointments. You can sign up by calling 67801112 or on the website of E. Gulbis Laboratory egl.lv, authenticating with Swedbank, SEB, Luminor or Citadele internet bank, e-parakstsID or e-paraksts Mobile or Smart-ID applications.

The Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab from the nose and throat, the saliva PCR test, the result of which is ready within 24 hours, the antigen or rapid test, the result of which is ready within 0.5 hours, can be taken at the testing point; it also offers various antibody tests, the types of which are listed on the website of E. Gulbis Laboratory.

In addition to Covid-19 tests, other tests that are not subject to special handling or storage conditions can also be taken at the permanent patient point. More detailed information will be available from the laboratory staff, upon specifying the respective test.

A testing point will still be available in the airside passenger area of the Airport where passengers travelling to the Netherlands can take a rapid Covid-19 test. The Airport reminds that travellers to this country must present the result of a rapid test, which is taken no earlier than 4 hours before the flight. The Airport encourages passengers travelling to the Netherlands to fill in the necessary data and make a payment on the website of E. Gulbis Laboratory before going to the Airport, as well as to arrive at the Airport in a timely manner and turn to the testing point located in the Airport shopping area near the Transfer Centre. The point is open already three hours before flights to Amsterdam.

The contactless Covid-19 testing point of E. Gulbis Laboratory, which is located at the Airport at the exit of Arrivals Hall E, also continues to work at Riga Airport. This point is available to anyone interested and travellers can take a saliva test, the result of which is ready within 24 hours. This device can only be used by those Airport guests and employees who have access to authentication tools recognized in Latvia: Swedbank, SEB, Luminor or Citadele internet bank, e-parakstsID or e-paraksts Mobile or Smart-ID.

As reported before, since last May, the Airport has in place a comprehensive epidemiological safety programme “Forbid the Virus from Travelling” to ensure that travellers who need to fly are as protected as possible from the risk of becoming infected with Covid-19. Riga Airport has received the high four-star rating for its implemented safety measures in the prestigious Skytrax aviation rating.

The Airport reminds that until February 25, travellers can enter Latvia only in cases of urgent need, and passenger carriage is suspended to and from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Portugal – the countries where the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 mutation has been detected and the incidence of COVID-19 has rapidly increased as a consequence.

Entry by air into Latvia is still allowed only for passengers who can present a negative Covid-19 test result performed by the PCR method; 10 days of self-isolation after entry must be observed also if the test result is negative. Riga Airport calls on those passengers who currently need to travel to do so responsibly, carefully observing the epidemiological safety requirements set at the Airport and on flights, and clarifying in good time all the conditions for the entry into the country of destination. Information on restrictions and requirements in European Union countries is compiled on the official website reopen.europa.eu and can be found on national embassies and on the websites of official bodies.

To help passengers prepare for the trip, Riga Airport has developed a video series "Travel Safely and Forbid the Virus from Travelling", which is available on the Airport's youtube channel and social network accounts.