A Los Angeles-based company that allegedly provided faked coronavirus testing results is to pay more $20 million in a settlement, the Los Angeles Times reports.
It adds that prosecutors alleged that the company, Sameday Technologies, told hundreds of patients they tested negative for COVID-19 when it actually had not run the samples. Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and District Attorney George Gascón further alleged that the company forged results at the direction of CEO Felix Huettenbach when people complained that their results were not returned in a timely manner, the LA Times says, adding that this allegedly affected about 500 results.
"In the early days, amidst the chaos of massive surges in demand for services, and shortages in supplies, we failed to meet the standards for excellence our customers deserve," Sameday says in a statement, according to the LA Times, adding that it has "corrected the problems."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, testing laboratories have faced delays in shipping, leading testing and reference labs to adopt a range of transportation approaches, as 360Dx reported in 2021.
The LA Times adds that an ad from Sameday says it has "nailed the logistics of [sample transportation] down so in most of our locations it's less than 24 hours."