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Covid testing sites remain closed as growing state investigations continue

Center For Covid Control
Posted at 6:51 PM, Jan 21, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-21 18:59:09-05

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Fox 4 has learned what will happen with those Covid pop-up testing sites known as the Center for Covid Control, which shut down last week after several investigations started looking into many questions including if their tests were false.

On Friday, the Center for Covid Control which has locations in Southwest Florida was under a microscope as several states are investigating them for claims of false information and inaccurate tests.

Their location in Cape Coral is shutdown, but others like the Punta Gorda location remained on what the company called a, "pause".

Last week, Fox 4 told you how the Center for Covid Control leaders said they planned to reopen their locations, but in a public statement said they're...

“...Extending its pause on operations and will not be reopening on Jan. 22, 2022".

They go on to say in part, this is so they can train staff on things like sample collection and handling, as well as regulatory guidelines.

It comes as the Illinois-based company, with several Southwest Florida locations, faces investigations in a growing number of states including Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota, after claims of false information and inaccurate test results began to surface.

In the meantime, people like Victoria Lob who lives in Iona, still want to be prepared.

She says when she tried to order free Covid tests through the federal government's new website from her mobile home, it marked her request invalid.

“When we were first signing up, I think they were recognizing the whole park as one household,” said Lob.

Lob said many of her neighbors are finding success by adding their house number to the address.

The United States Postal Service spokesperson David Walton told Fox 4 in a statement:

The Postal Service is seeing very limited cases of addresses that are not registered as multi-unit buildings which could lead to COVID test kit ordering difficulties. This is occurring in a small percentage of orders. For assistance in the ordering process, the USPS recommends filing a service request at https://emailus.usps.com/s/the-postal-store-inquiry [gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com]  or contacting our help desk at 1-800-ASK-USPS, to help address the issue.
David Walton, USPS

Some who have completed their orders, like Genelle Bennett, told Fox 4 it’s a great way to avoid having to any public testing sites.

“I mean it’s free and it’s an obvious convenience that is right there for you and you see on the news all the time how long the lines are and wait times and whatnot,” said Bennett.