OLYMPIA, Wash. — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit Monday against a COVID-19 testing center over invalid and false test results.
The company, Center for COVID Control, had already suspended operations in Washington and is being investigated by the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.
>> COVID testing company suspends operations in Washington while under investigation
“The company has been unresponsive to the BBB regarding the resolution of these complaints,” BBB of Chicago and Northern Illinois stated. “Consumers allege problems with not receiving test results, poor customer service and requesting personally identifiable information (driver’s license, insurance, etc.)”
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The Washington lawsuit alleges the company violated the Consumer Protection Act when it “deliberately failed to deliver prompt, valid and accurate results.”
“Center for COVID Control contributed to the spread of COVID-19 when it provided false negative results,” Ferguson said. “These sham testing centers threatened the health and safety of our communities. They must be held accountable.”
The attorney general’s office said the company’s unlawful practices included storing tests in garbage bags for over a week and backdating sample collection dates.
Employees reported that the company instructed them to “lie to patients on a daily basis,” according to the office.
The company operated about 300 testing sites nationwide and had at least 300 testing sites in Washington.
The lawsuit asks the court to order Center for COVID Control to stop “unlawful conduct,” pay civil penalties of up to $12,500 and relinquish any profits made.
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