COVID-19 Testing Company Halts WI Operations Due To Investigation

Ethan Duran
·1 min read

MILWAUKEE, WI — A chain that opened pop-up COVID-19 testing centers across the country, including in Wisconsin, announced on Thursday that it has paused its operations nationwide after complaints arose around how it handled tests.

The Center for COVID Control, based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, said it acknowledged the strain closing its storefront locations would cause for customers. The company said that it would reopen on Jan. 22 after further training its staff across 275 locations nationwide.

However, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts and California have began investigating the Center for COVID Control over complaints of how it handled its tests. In Oregon, the Oregon Health Authority says it has received no test results from the company despite it being required by law, and the Oregon Department of Justice is investigating.

In Wisconsin, a Waukesha resident told FOX 6 Milwaukee that he was given a negative test result before he stepped in the door to have it done.

The City of Appleton told its residents to "beware" of CCC testing sites due to complaints they received, including suggest lines with no social distancing and optional mask wearing.

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Aleya Siyaj, founder and CEO of CCC, said that locations had to close due to demand for testing. "We've made this difficult decision to temporarily pause all operations, until we are confident that all collection sites are meeting our high standards for quality," Siyaj said.

None of the company's listed sites in the Milwaukee area appear on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services' official list of community COVID-19 testing sites.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said that the best way to find a COVID-19 test in the Milwaukee area was to go through HealthyMKE's website.

This article originally appeared on the Milwaukee Patch