XpresSpa, a nail salon chain, had to shut down its operations due to the pandemic. As a result, it launched Covid testing to search for emerging and new variants among international travelers. Through a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and synthetic biology firm Ginkgo Bioworks Inc., XpresSpa, an airport chain that offers mani-pedis and massages to travelers, launched this initiative. The trio has tested several passengers arriving from more than 15 countries around the world. Despite stringent rules that require passengers to furnish negative Covid certificate before entering the US, the trio do find new mutants and positive cases on arrival. This is a rare combination of The Government and private industry working together to detect new cases of the virus and fight the pandemic. Looking at the success of the project, the project has expanded and is being viewed as a path to monitor other threats in the future.
