Center for Covid Control will temporarily close COVID test sites, according to USA Today

The company at the center of a WINK News investigation has ordered a pause in operations, according to USA Today.

USA Today reports that it obtained an internal memo saying the Center for Covid Control will pause all operations for one week. A company spokesperson later confirmed to USA Today the existence of that memo.

The pause in operations is expected to begin nationwide on Friday.

USA Today goes on to cite WINK News and its reporting of what happened at the Bonita Springs location.

On Monday, WINK News learned that some people at the Bonita Springs COVID-19 test site got their test results before they even took the test.

Those tested at the Bonita Springs site say they were told to grab a Doctors Clinical Lab card, scan the QR code, and enter their names, address, a picture of their driver’s license, and all of their personal insurance information.

Erin Kates told WINK News her family got results after filling out the card, but before getting tested, “We got an email for each of us all, all five of us, both of us and our three kids saying that our rapid test came back negative.”

Mary Farmer, who says she runs the Center for Covid Control test site at the Edison Mall, said she was told to close her location on Thursday.

“There is such concern out there for people being scared and needed testing, and now people are without,” Farmer said.

The only sign that the Edison Mall location used to be a test site is a locked shed and a sign that says “Closed until further notice.”

Farmer said that last week, and again on Thursday, she ran the testing site operating under the umbrella of the Center for Covid Control.

When asked why this site closed, she said, “Everybody has to be investigated.”

But by who? WINK News has tried for a week to get someone from the Center for Covid Control to comment about what’s happening in Southwest Florida.

The Florida Attorney General, the Department of Health, the Agency for Health Care Administration; none of them will say whether they’re doing an investigation.

So, WINK News asked Farmer if she knew who was investigating.

Farmer said, “I know there was sites in Miami that were giving out results before people even tested.”

WINK News Reporter Michael Hudak asked her, “What if I told you that I did a report on Monday that the site in Bonita Springs was doing the same exact thing?”

Farmer’s response, “we heard the same thing, just, and we didn’t know that, and we were sending people over there that couldn’t wait in line, and we didn’t know that ourselves.”

The only Southwest Florida location shut down is the Edison Mall.

On Thursday, video from the Center for Covid Control’s Cape Coral location showed it still open.

WINK News texted Dennis Finnearty, who claims to run the site in Bonita Springs, to ask if that location was still open. He responded via text, saying, “F**k off.”

Video from the Bonita Springs site showed that it was also still open on Thursday.

A big question that you all at home have been asking is, ‘what if I went to the Edison Mall site to get a test and haven’t gotten my results back yet?’

Farmer said you should still get your results within 3-5 business days.

WINK News continues to reach out to the Center for Covid Control for comment.

California is investigating the Center for Covid Control’s sites there, and the Illinois Department of Health, where the company is based, does not name them on their list of places to get a test.

USA Today is reporting that Oregon, Massachusetts and Washington are also investigating the Center for Covid Control.