COVID-19: Delta Puts Entire Workforce to the Test, Literally

As airlines across the world continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta Air Lines has decided to put its entire workforce to the test, literally.

Delta is well on its way to testing nearly 100 percent of the airline’s workforce for COVID-19 by the end of the month. This is to keep Delta’s employees, their families and customers safe.

The extensive employee testing program is adding another layer of protection to the many measures Delta recently launched to keep both employees and customers healthy and safe onboard.

Widespread, proactive testing is one of the best ways to slow the spread, especially since the virus can be spread by people who don’t have any symptoms.

Testing all 75,000 Delta people will help give even asymptomatic individuals time to recover at home and reduce exposure to others.

Using this baseline testing, Delta has engaged Mayo Clinic, a global leader in serious and complex care, to help develop a re-testing strategy based on tailored risk assessments.

Mayo Clinic will also review and assess Delta’s health and safety practices from – infection prevention measures to workforce risk assessments – that aim to support Delta people and help reduce the rate of infection.

Delta recently launched onsite testing in cities with large employee populations and recently extended an at-home testing option to all U.S. employees, through which Quest Diagnostics will send self-collection kits directly to an employee’s doorstep upon request.

About half of Delta’s active employees have already been tested so far. The rest would all have been tested by the end of this month.

Employees who receive a positive diagnostic COVID-19 test result are required to isolate at home for a minimum of 10 days while receiving full pay protection in order to break the chain of transmission among employees and with customers.

In addition, employees who have been exposed to others with COVID-19 are required to remain out of the workplace for 14 days from the date of exposure with full pay protection.

Delta is also offering employees the option of being tested for the COVID-19 at all of its major U.S. hubs and at more than 2,000 Quest Diagnostic locations in the US – free of charge.