Banned coronavirus ‘test kits’ found in shipment from UK, Customs officials say

Packages of prohibited “test kits” were intercepted by officials this week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

International Mail Facility officers at O’Hare International Airport found packages Tuesday coming from the United Kingdom that contained prohibited medical drug kits, according to a news release.

“On March 17, 2020, CBP officers intercepted shipments containing ‘Test Kits’ for various viruses and diseases to include COVID-19,” the agency said in a news release. “Not all the COVID-19 test kits were in each parcel, and there was generally just one COVID-19 test kit within groups of other alleged test kits for meningitis, IVF, MRSA, onion, apple, salmonella and others.”

The packages were turned over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to the news release.

“The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) prohibits the introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce, or the causing thereof, of any food, drug, device, tobacco product, or cosmetic that is adulterated or misbranded,” the news release stated.

The prohibited test kit shipment comes as coronavirus continues to spread. There have been more than 240,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, and 13,159 confirmed cases in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins.

“Authorized diagnostic testing for COVID-19 and other virus and diseases is conducted in verified state and local public health laboratories across the United States,” the news release said. “The American public should be aware of counterfeit home testing kits for sale either online or in informal direct to consumer settings.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Banned coronavirus ‘test kits’ found in shipment from UK, Customs officials say."