As the demand for COVID testing increases, consumers should be wary of unauthorized “pop-up” COVID testing sites. Warning signs that a pop-up testing site may be unauthorized include:
- Asking for too much personal information, such as social security, driver’s license, and bank account numbers. Such information could be used for identity theft.
- Unsanitary conditions, including staff not wearing masks and gloves.
- Not returning test results in a timely manner. In most cases, expect antigen test results to be available in a matter of hours and PCR tests in two to three days.
In addition, pop-up sites should be able to provide the name and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification number of the laboratory used to process their tests. Certifications can be verified using the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services CLIA search tool.
To ensure that a testing site is legitimate, consider the following options:
- Contact your health care provider
- Check the Alameda County Public Health Department’s Community Testing Site Locations page
- Check the California Department of Public Health’s test site search tool
Report possible unauthorized COVID testing sites to the District Attorney’s Office’s Consumer Protection Unit at askcepd-da@acgov.org.
Attorney General Bonta Warns Californians to Beware of Illegitimate COVID-19 Testing Sites