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'Scam is an understatement': COVID testing company blocked from operating in Washington

Center for COVID Control has been blocked from operating in Washington following an investigation and lawsuit.

Editor's note: The above video on the investigation into Center for COVID Control originally aired January 13, 2022.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – An Illinois-based COVID-19 testing company has been blocked from operating in Washington after the Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit arguing it violated the Consumer Protection Act when it deliberately failed to deliver prompt, valid and accurate test results.

The investigation into Center for COVID Control's operations began in January after the Washington Attorney General's Office received several reports of possible fake COVID-19 testing sites.

The Attorney General's Office announced at the end of January that it filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court against the company for "providing invalid, false and delayed COVID-19 test results to Washingtonians, or sometimes providing no results at all."

"The company’s unlawful practices included storing tests in garbage bags for over a week rather than properly refrigerating them, and backdating sample collection dates so that stale samples would still be processed," the lawsuit said.

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Washington Attorney Bob Ferguson announced Thursday his office obtained a preliminary injunction in the case. In the order, the court blocked the company from operating in Washington during the case.

“Calling this conduct a ‘scam’ is an understatement,” Ferguson said. “It was unethical, illegal, and jeopardized the health of thousands of Washingtonians. Our investigation put a stop to Center for COVID Control’s Washington operations.”  

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) said it was aware of at least 10 testing sites operated by the Center for COVID Control. The DOH said the sites weren't licensed by the state.

The testing sites were operating in several counties including Snohomish, King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Yakima counties

The company shut down its testing centers in Washington around Jan. 13, according to the Attorney General's Office. In the court order, the company said it disputed the Attorney General's Office's arguments but agreed to no longer provide COVID-19 testing services or collect consumer health information in Washington.

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