Photo by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, via Twitter.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) have seized a package arriving from the United Kingdom that contained vials falsely labeled as coronavirus test kits.
In a press release on the agency’s website, CBP stated that the parcel manifest had declared the contents as “Purified Water Vials” valued at $196.81. When the officers examined the package, they found vials containing an unidentified white liquid, with labels that said “Corona Virus 2019nconv (COVID-19)” and “Virus1 Test Kit.”
The vials have been turned over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for testing.
CPB cautioned Americans to “be aware” that valid home testing kits for COVID-19, the coronavirus, were not currently available for purchase, and authorized diagnostic testing was being conducted in verified state and local public health laboratories.
“Protecting the health and safety of the American people is a top priority for CBP,” said Carlos C. Martel, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. “This significant interception, at a time when the U.S. is in the midst of a National Emergency, demonstrates our CBP officers’ vigilance and commitment to ensure dangerous goods are intercepted and not a threat to our communities and our people.”
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