VFS Global launches online appointment booking service for COVID-19 sample collection

As borders reopen and travel restrictions ease gradually, pre-departure COVID-19 testing is already being made mandatory by some countries, while others are considering this to ease the pressure of on-arrival testing, VFS Global said in a statement. To meet this demand and as part of an additional service offering, VFS Global has launched an online appointment booking service for COVID-19 RT-PCR sample collection in Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai, it added.

Visa services provider VFS Global on Thursday announced the launch of an online appointment booking service for COVID-19 sample collection in association with certified medical laboratories in Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai. As borders reopen and travel restrictions ease gradually, pre-departure COVID-19 testing is already being made mandatory by some countries, while others are considering this to ease the pressure of on-arrival testing, VFS Global said in a statement.

To meet this demand and as part of an additional service offering, VFS Global has launched an online appointment booking service for COVID-19 RT-PCR sample collection in Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai, it added. This service is being offered in association with a network of certified medical laboratories approved by the government and having all due accreditations for swab collections.

People in Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai can book appointments on the VFS Global website and provide samples at designated associate medical laboratories from August 10, the statement added. This 'At Your Doorstep' service also enables sample collection from the customer's home, and the report is sent with confidentiality to the registered e-mail address of the person, it said.

Similar offerings will be extended to customers in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune in the coming weeks, it added. The COVID-19 RT-PCR sample collection service is open for all and is not limited to travellers, the statement said.

"We believe that a convenient and reliable pre-departure COVID-19 sample collection or testing solution can become a catalyst in the recovery process of international travel by providing an assurance to destination countries, airlines and travellers and by becoming a major risk-mitigator," VFS Global Regional Group COO (South Asia, Middle East, North Africa and Americas) Vinay Malhotra said. He added that countries might even consider making this mandatory for incoming travellers to ease the pressure of testing upon arrival.

The sample collection service is not related to the visa application submission process and has no influence on VFS Global's visa application process or on the visa decision, which remains the sole prerogative of the government concerned, it said. The statement said the sample collection service itself is provided by independent third-party service providers which are not owned by or related to VFS Global.

The company's role is limited to assisting customers with appointment booking for the test, it added. VFS Global is a visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)