San Ramon: Attorney general demands answers in investigation into COVID testing company

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently demanded additional information from a COVID testing company facing a federal investigation amid waves of customer complaints and concerns, and unanswered questions into their business practices and motives.

The Illinois-based company Centers for Covid Control (CCC) launched and operated numerous pop-up testing sites, including one in San Ramon at 9110 Alcosta Blvd., amid the early omicron surge and increased demand for testing as a result.

The company was ordered to close last month, amid a federal investigation and FBI raid of the company’s headquarters outside Chicago on Jan. 22. However, local sites were allowed to resume operations independently by severing ties with the main company.

While this led to most sites to shutter or pause operations, with the San Ramon location being listed as “temporarily closed” for several weeks, the site appeared to be open, according to its web listings this week. Contact information and a link to the CCC website were no longer listed.

On Feb. 10, Bonta sent a letter to the company requesting additional information that could substantiate claims that have been thrown into question by consumer complaints. Specifically, the company is facing numerous reports of failing to provide test results in the timeframe advertised, concerns about accuracy of test results, and handling of test samples.

Bonta is requesting that the company provide information substantiating claims about turnaround time for test results, including claims of rapid test results being available within 15 minutes in person or three hours via email, and PCR test results being available within no more than 48 hours.

“Today’s letter to Center for Covid Control serves as a warning to all other COVID-19 testing sites operating in the state of California. If you are operating a testing site that is making false claims, failing to provide promised test results, or stealing people’s information, we will hold you accountable,” Bonta said in a statement. “My office is responsible for keeping individuals safe from false or misleading business practices, and we are committed to doing just that.”

Bonta added that he encouraged anyone who suspected being scammed by a testing site to report it to his office.