Amsterdam Schiphol airport has confirmed plans to test arrivals from “high-risk” areas for Covid-19.
The airport said that it would “shortly” be opening a Covid-19 testing centre in its Arrival Hall 3, with public health staff directing travellers arriving from designated high risk areas to the facility.
These are defined as countries or regions which have been assigned an orange or red travel advisory by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The airport linked to this page on netherlandsworldwide.nl (last updated on July 28) for more details on the advisories. The UK is currently assigned a yellow advisory, indicating that testing would not be required for UK arrivals.
No details were given on how long the test results would take to relayed to arriving passengers, or whether any cost would be passed on to affected travellers.
Schiphol also highlighted existing measures in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19, which include the following:
- Travellers must wear a face mask at check-in, security, border control and while boarding
- Plastic screen guards have been installed at all check-in, transfer and ticket desks, and at other service points
- Every second check-in desk and gate is used, where possible
- Baggage trolleys are positioned at a 1.5 metre distance at the baggage belts, and the baggage from each flight is routed to a separate belt
- The airport is fitted with stickers and markings to indicate the appropriate distance between travellers
- Airport facilities are carefully cleaned, especially in areas that are used by a large number of people, such as the trays at security control and bathroom facilities
- There are hand sanitising dispensers
- Passengers are required to have a health declaration with them
- Schiphol is deploying safeguards. They remind passengers to keep their distance, wear a face mask at the designated areas and regularly wash/disinfect their hands
- Only travellers and staff should be in the terminal and Schiphol Plaza. People picking travellers up or dropping travellers off should not accompany them inside, unless absolutely necessary. Schiphol asks them to drop travellers off in front of Departures or wait for them in the car, in the car park.
