As lines get longer and longer at COVID-19 testing sites, county fitness officials warn that some emerging operations are possibly unlicensed and meant to scam people.
San Diego County Chief Medical Officer Eric McDonald said he personally encountered an unlicensed testing station near the Old Town Transit Center and could quickly tell it was not legitimate.
“We’ve noticed those pop-ups popping up a little bit near our county stations and other valid check stations,” he said. “It’s pretty simple to see that they’re not valid when you ask very fundamental questions, like what test are you using, what lab are you sending it to, what’s your fitness credential to take that test?A license is required for a professional to collect this type of sample.
If you don’t have answers to those questions, walk away, he advised.
Another clue that it might not be valid is if it advertises a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) DNA test, McDonald said.
“And you know that’s not correct, because the virus is an RNA (ribonucleic acid) virus,” he said.
If there are too many acronyms to remember, another tip is to stay away from those asking for a social security number or home address, which McDonald says may simply involve a scam aimed at collecting non-public information.
The pop-ups could aim to raise money by providing fake evidence, or they could provide evidence for fraudulent and fraudulent insurance companies to get reimbursed, he said.
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The scam is not unique to San Diego County and is not the first of its kind during the pandemic.
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector GeneralThe U. S. Department of Health updated its alert on illegal activities similar to COVID-19 this week. Scams can come with fake check kits sold door-to-door and surveys that trick other people into revealing non-public information.
Fraud related to COVID-19 can be reported to the Health and Office of Inspector General by calling 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477) or online at https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/ https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/
McDonald said the county has reported what appear to be fake sites to the California Department of Public Health’s laboratory services.
An email to The San Diego Union-Tribune from the California Department of Public Health said all complaints are taken seriously, and advised people to report issues about testing sites to https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/Pages/Complaints.aspx.
The email also states that some sites masquerading as control sites are just collection sites, meaning they take a sample and then send it to a lab for monitoring. Field laboratory facilities have authority if the collection site operates through a clinical laboratory, but they do not. I have no authority over collection sites that operate independently. The local government can regulate independent sites, the email said.
The CRPD email did not answer whether any testing sites had been shut down for operating without a license, but said it had reviewed Encinitas-based Community Wellness America and found no wrongdoing.
“CDPH has inspected Community Wellness America (CWA) and appears to be operating collection sites and sending samples to an accredited California laboratory for analysis,” the email said. “The CDPD also inspected the laboratory responsible for conducting the tests on the samples. ” collected through CWA and uncovered no evidence of noncompliance with clinical laboratory laws. ”
To check if a lab is licensed in California, https://www. cdph. ca. gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/Pages/FacilitiesVerification. aspx.
McDonald cautioned that unlicensed sites can simply be reported to police in the city they are located in, but that may not be a simple solution.
Cities may not have the authority to run off a testing site if it is set up on a sidewalk or other public place under a state law passed in 2018 that encourages street vending as a new class of small business. Created as Senate Bill 946, the law allows cities to regulate street vendors if they create their own ordinance that focuses on health and safety, but not economic competition.
Carlsbad, Vista, El Cajon and National City have created ordinances for street vendors, but the city of San Diego has not. The city council canceled a hearing on its proposal last month and a new one is being drafted. The factor has been moot and has left San Diego and other California cities without the strength to shut down street vendors.
Another impediment to regulating sites is simply looking to keep track of them.
“They can be in one position day after day,” McDonald said.
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