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Chinese turn to on-call coronavirus testing during holiday travel rush
- Tests are compulsory for many travellers to rural areas, and that could be a boon for private firms offering personalised services
- Swab tests at home or work can be booked on mobile apps to avoid long waits at test centres or hospitals
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With millions of Chinese facing mandatory coronavirus tests to travel during the Lunar New Year holiday, some enterprising private firms are eyeing a potential boon from more personalised but pricier services, such as swab tests at home or at work.
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China is one of only a few countries that offer such house-call services, which can be booked on mobile phone apps and allow users to avoid long waits in crowded queues at test centres or hospitals, sometimes outside in the cold.
The emergence of on-call testing also partly reflects individual anxiety about transmission risks, even though China reports relatively few Covid-19 cases, as well as an expanding range of testing options available to Chinese consumers, depending on one’s budget.
Ou Yang, who works in the auditing industry in southern Fujian province, said she opted for a 358 yuan (US$56) on-call test after she initially booked a spot at a local hospital.
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“It’s much more expensive than normal tests … but it’s worth it,” said Ou, whose sample was collected at her workplace. “I’d gone to the hospital and queued up, but there were so many people and they were standing really close to one another.”
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