Flying in the age of coronavirus comes packed with uncertainty about the health status of fellow travelers. Now, Florida's Tampa International Airport is running a pilot program that offers on-the-spot COVID-19 tests for travelers.
With more than 120 people participating in the optional testing per day, Joe Lopano, Tampa International Airport CEO, said the program is showing promising results.
"We've had some customers who have tested positive and Baycare, the healthcare professionals, have a discussion with that passenger and tell them that they should not continue on their way and passengers have accepted it," Lopano told Cheddar.
The airport offers two tests, the $125 PCR nasal swab, which usually takes 3 to 4 days to yield results, and the $50 rapid Antigen test. The cost of both tests, Lopano said, can be covered by insurance companies if travelers provide a receipt from the airport.
Testing at the airport, according to Lopano, will not have much impact on overall travel time. In fact, those not checking a bag only need to account for an additional 30 minutes as a cushion, he added.
"It's immediate testing. Sometimes you have to wait in a short line. You'll get your results in 15 minutes, so it really is not a very time-consuming function and it's very convenient," Lopano said.
While other airports have implemented testing for specific destinations, Lopano said Tampa is the first to offer widespread testing for passengers on all flights arriving and departing. The pilot program is likely to continue running through the holiday season as the number of participants and customer satisfaction is assessed.
For Lopano, offering a testing site at the airport is not only maintaining passenger safety but can also help revitalize a struggling travel industry that is fighting to get customers off the ground.
"It's a high priority because we need to do whatever we can to create confidence in the travel experience and now that widespread testing is available, the technology is available, what better way to do that than right at the airport," he said.
According to data from Dealogic, the Nasdaq is on track to beat the NYSE in IPOs this year, raising $191 billion so far, compared with the NYSE's $109 billion. Louis Cordone, senior president of Data Strategy at AST, discusses why 2021 was so successful for IPOs, and what differentiates the two exchanges.
Jeffrey Small, President of Arbor Financial, breaks down the Omicron variants' impact on markets going forward and where investors should pay attention to for growth potential.
Rich Weiss, Multi-Asset Strategies CIO at American Century Investments, talks about economic growth amid COVID-19 concerns and how retail spending is being impacted by inflation.
Markets opened higher as investors shrugged off weaker-than-expected job growth and Omicron fears. George Seay, CEO, Annandale Capital joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Michele Schneider, Partner and Director of Trading Research & Education for MarketGauge, breaks down the major risks to the markets and discusses why tech and Agriculture are the best sectors to hedge inflation concerns.
Bitcoin took a nosedive over the weekend, falling to its lowest price level in nearly two months. According to data from Coindesk, the crypto dropped more than 20% to $42,000 on Saturday before rebounding some. Prices of Ether, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu dropped as well, with Ether tumbling by more than 15%at one point. Lance Ippolito, head trader at the Future of Wealth, joined Cheddar to discuss why crypto plummeted and what to expect next.
Less than six months after making its public debut on the NYSE, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi says it will delist in the U.S. and pivot to Hong Kong instead. Chinese regulators are citing cybersecurity and data concerns. Shehzad Qazi, Managing Director, China Beige Book International joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
As offices shifted to remote schedules, and people were forced into a new way of work, many began to re-think their career path and their purpose in the workforce, leading to what many are calling 'The Great Resignation.' During the last year, Americans quit their jobs in unprecedented numbers, seeking more flexibility, better benefits, a higher salary, and ultimately greater independence. Danielle Neal, CEO of Digital with Danielle, is just one of the millions who quit their job during the pandemic, and she joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to tell her story.
