Center for COVID Control locations not reopening in Illinois

(25 NEWS) - Center for COVID Control locations around Illinois will not be reopening anytime soon.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says company officials agreed to this after the Attorney General’s office contacted the company to demand that the Center for COVID Control immediately stop engaging in any fraudulent or deceptive conduct, particularly with respect to the delivery of testing results or billing, according to a release.

Complaints have ranged from testing results being delayed or not received at all, to results being provided to individuals who were never administered a test, to tests being stored improperly, and staff incorrectly using PPE and face masks.

In addition to evaluating residents’ complaints, attorneys from my Consumer Fraud Division interviewed former employees of the Center for COVID Control.

“I am pleased with this result and would like to thank the residents who noticed something awry and contacted my office,” Raoul said. “I also appreciate the former employee whistleblowers who came forward to report practices that compromised tests.”

“I am committed to protecting Illinois residents from unlawful conduct by companies operating pop-up COVID-19 testing facilities in our state.”

Pop-up COVID-19 testing locations are not regulated by a government agency, and Raoul recommends that people first try to utilize a state-sponsored testing site to the extent possible. Individuals can contact their health care providers for testing or testing center recommendations.

People can also find a testing location by visiting the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website, the Cook County Department of Health’s website and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ website.

Raoul urges people to choose a different testing site if they visit one where something does not seem right. Individuals are encouraged to file a complaint on the Attorney General’s website if they believe they have been the victim of fraud, or if they were not charged at the time of a COVID-19 test but later receive a bill for testing services.