International travelers to the Okanagan can ski more with less time on COVID testing

A new service at three regional ski hills will allow international travelers to do their COVID testing on the hills before returning home.

Currently, they have to take time off to drive into town to get a COVID test that’s required before returning to their home countries

The new system will allow people to pick up COVID test kits from the Whitecap RSC Medical station at Kelowna International Airport on their way to Big White, Silver Star or Revelstoke Mountain.

They can book a virtual appointment with Whitecap to have a health care specialist coach them through the self-swab process.

The kits can then be dropped off at collection points on each ski hill so they can be taken to the Whitecap lab at the airport for processing.

READ MORE: COVID-19: A timeline of the pandemic and how it changed our lives over the past two years

“It is an added incentive for visitors to choose Kelowna when making their travel plans,” Airport Director Sam Samaddar said in a news release. “Our economy has been impacted by COVID-19 and this is one way we can support our region toward a full recovery.”

For now, only PCR tests are available but antigen testing will be coming later.

Each test costs $195.

For more information and to book virtual COVID-19 testing appointments, go to the Whitecap website, here, and follow the links for virtual testing.

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