Travelers are experiencing long lines at Logan Airport as holiday travel kicks into full gear

Some people today waited up to 4 hrs to get examined for COVID-19 at Logan Airport this 7 days amid a rise in cases fueled by the Omicron variant.

XpresCheck features coronavirus testing at Terminals E and C at Logan, and judging by the length of the lines Monday, the demand for tests this holiday getaway travel season is high.

Julie Ferguson, a spokeswoman for XpresCheck, mentioned there is no lack of tests but men and women need to have to make an appointment in progress it should not be a last-minute final decision that’s built at the airport.

“We are an appointment-only company,” she explained. “We’ve greater our hours. If you want to get a exam, you need to make an appointment.”

Logan officers are also recommending vacationers get analyzed just before they arrive at the airport.

“Logan Airport offers COVID tests. But with occupied getaway vacation, it is recommended you attain a take a look at prior to coming to the airport if a negative check is needed to travel to your remaining vacation spot,” officers wrote in a tweet on Monday.

Journey is down about 25 {e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} from this time in 2019, in accordance to Jennifer Mehigan, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Logan.

“I can inform you this week isn’t as hectic as Thanksgiving 7 days, where by we observed practically 1 million travellers,” Mehigan reported in an e-mail.

“We will have a couple of fast paced days before and following the holiday getaway,” she stated. “The 23rd and Jan 3 are the busiest days about the vacations.”

Officers with the Transportation Stability Administration stated vacationers should nonetheless be ready for superior passenger quantity from now by way of Jan. 3. To keep screening traces going immediately, vacationers are urged to examine the TSA internet site to see what you can deliver and to make confident you are packing properly. If you’re unsure of what you can deliver on the aircraft, you can get responses by distributing queries to @AskTSA on Fb Messenger or Twitter.

TSA officials are recommending that tourists get there at the stability checkpoint two hours early for domestic flights and three hrs early for international flights. They also recommend working with present luggage to transport offers and to keep away from utilizing any wrapping paper because TSA officers could require to unwrap the gifts through the screening procedure — and that applies to things both equally in have-on baggage and checked baggage. You can constantly wrap the presents when you get there at your location.

Airport officials are encouraging tourists to obtain the FlyLogan app to acquire notifications on the status of your flight, reserve parking, and preorder food stuff and have it sent to your gate.

Thanks to the predicted maximize in travel to and from Logan, point out transportation officials mentioned the Sumner Tunnel swing lane will not be deployed on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.

Transportation officers are also reminding motorists to examine on traffic problems by dialing 511, viewing www.mass511.com or working with the GoTime cellular app.

“We anticipate getaway journey on all roadways across the Commonwealth will be active in excess of the forthcoming months, and we inspire the general public to use commonly offered actual-time targeted traffic resources to support system the timing of their vacation,” freeway administrator Jonathan Gulliver said in a statement.

Officials mentioned the significant occupancy car (HOV) lane on Interstate 93 amongst Boston and Quincy will increase its afternoon several hours by opening from 2 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30, and it will be shut on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.

Emily Sweeney can be reached at [email protected]. Comply with her on Twitter @emilysweeney.