en 
"We intend to test all passengers, with and without appointment, who are waiting at Lisbon airport, so that no one is prevented from traveling", said an official company source, after images of huge lines of people waiting to take the Covid-19 test at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport were shown on TV.
The queues were due, according to Synlab, to the fact that the airport's testing centre was the only place open on the first day of the year to carry out tests.
“This is, as you know, the only place open today (January 1) for Covid testing in Lisbon and despite the service being open exclusively to passengers, there is also an increased need for testing for passengers on numerous return flights after the Christmas and New Year holidays”, concludes the source.
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I was at this testing center this morning. My family was travelling to Miami. Your report is inaccurate. Please check you facts. We had appointments and were tested within a reasonable time. For the unfortunate passengers without an appointment it was a completely different story. Today January 02 2022 at 0800 am, the line for testing was over 3 hours wait. People were complaining of being in line since 0500 am. People were packed on top of each other while waiting like a pre pandemic metro in New York City at rush hour . No social distancing was observed and many missed their flights
By Nick K from Lisbon on 02 Jan 2022, 11:51
So crowded, due to waiting for testing. And so many people together. Have much virus is spread this way ? Compared to the spreading that prevented by testing ? I am sure that this system adds significant to distributions of virus. There is no 2 m distance between all these people. And the mask gives a fake feeling of security. Skip this, unless it ca nbe done safe
By Gustav from Algarve on 02 Jan 2022, 17:32
Absurd! First of all if you didn't make an appointment serves you right, it's like immigration policies; did you think you were the only ones needing a test? Knowing this was the ONLY site open on one of the heaviest travel days of the year, the airport organization should have put 6 ft. distancing strips down and had a few employees ENFORCE social distancing. You are dealing with 3rd graders here, they need to be herded and reminded what to do, those that don't go to the end of the line! If I were there waiting for my APPOINTMENT I would stand 6ft. behind the person in front and if someone was too close to me I's politely ask them to "PLEASE keep the distance" after saying "hello, how are you today?" Most people realize and will back-up. If they have an attitude, call the guard. The protocol is NOW one cloth mask first and a K or NK95 mask on top of it ESPECIALLY inside. We'll never get rid of this protocol if people don't pay attention, THINK and cooperate. You just become a group of people trying to CREATE a new variant. Is that what you really want???
By wesley from USA on 03 Jan 2022, 05:54
Why not do tests in a pharmacy or testing center? Dont do it at airport. I don't know why people do that.
By Tomas Osang Muir from Alentejo on 03 Jan 2022, 09:32
I was at the testing center on January 1 and waited almost NINE hours and that was WITH an appointment. What sort of idiots thought it was a smart idea to have only ONE testing center open in the entire city? I understand it's a holiday but we are also living in a pandemic. There should have been some testing facilities available not just at the airport but in the city as well - for travelers and anyone else. This disaster at the airport could have been easily prevented and the people at Synlab and the airport authority should have known this is what would happen. What a shocking level of incompetence!
By Tstew from Lisbon on 03 Jan 2022, 16:12
I got my tests done at a Pharmacy and i think there would be some pharmacies open even on NYD
By John Paul Travil from Other on 03 Jan 2022, 17:38