Brisbane Airport closed one of its last COVID-19 testing clinic at the airport. During the pandemic, two health providers operated COVID testing clinics in the airport, testing a combined 147,244 passengers over the last 18 months. This closure comes on the heels of an announcement from the World Health Organization that COVID-19 no longer represents a global health emergency.
“The closure of this clinic marks a symbolic end to the pandemic which had disrupted domestic and international travel over the past three years,” the airport said.
Stephen Beckett, Head of Public Affairs, Brisbane Airport said: “The closure of the clinics and removal of testing signs draws a line in the sand and marks the end of the COVID chapter at Brisbane airport. The opening of airport testing sites was crucial to the re-start of interstate and overseas travel and we're grateful for the role testing played in keeping us safe and getting us moving. But now we celebrate the fact that global travel is back and with it the jobs and opportunities travel deliver to Queensland."
The clinic provided testing for both PCR and RAT recoding the busiest period in April 2022. With the clinics now closed, airlines will use the vacated space as their operations at Brisbane continue to expand.
The airport is witnessing a strong recovery from the pandemic with VietJet launching non-stop flights between Brisbane and Vietnam, United Airlines starting a nonstop service from Los Angeles and Air Vanuatu is resuming flights to the Pacific port of Espiritu Santo.