Both Costa Rica airports finally offer Covid tests
The rapid coronavirus tests show results within an hour.
The two Costa Rica airports with regular international service finally offer on-site coronavirus testing. This makes it easier to fly from Costa Rica to the United States or to other countries that require negative results.
Laboratorios Echandi now conducts rapid antigen tests for outgoing travelers at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) near San José and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste.
The tests cost $65 with results guaranteed within an hour. Passengers should arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before scheduled departure to allow enough time for the test, check-in and security.
Click here to make an appointment; walk-ins are also welcome. At least 100 labs across Costa Rica offer Covid tests for international travelers; click here for the full list.
Antigen tests are authorized by the CDC for entry into the United States. However, some countries (e.g. Canada) require a PCR test, which typically take at least 10 hours to process. Many countries (e.g. Costa Rica, Mexico) don’t require a negative result for entry.
Petition for U.S. to donate vaccines
As we’ve written exhaustively, Costa Rica is in a very bad place right now due to Covid-19. This is in part due to the slow vaccination rollout, since Pfizer and Covax have sent relatively small shipments of doses.
To help expedite the inoculation process, the Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) has launched a petition to encourage the U.S. government to donate surplus vaccines to Costa Rica.
Click here to sign the AmCham petition.
The Costa Rican government has also formally requested to “borrow” vaccines from the United States. Under this agreement, the U.S. would immediately send a large batch of doses that Costa Rica would repay when its own shipments arrive later this year.
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