Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva won’t use the county’s coronavirus testing supplier for his division over considerations in regards to the firm’s alleged hyperlinks with the Chinese language authorities, the Los Angeles Instances reported Monday.
Villanueva despatched a letter to the county board of administrators saying the FBI contacted him final week and informed county officers “the intense dangers related to permitting Fulgent to do COVID-19 exams” throughout a briefing the day after Thanksgiving the Instances reported.
Based on Villanueva, the FBI informed him the data would probably be leaked to China, the Instances reported, and the sheriff stated the DNA information obtained “just isn’t assured to be secure from overseas governments.”
An FBI spokesman declined to remark when requested by the Instances to verify what was being mentioned on the assembly.
The Instances reported that LA County district supervisor Sheila Kuehl was texted to the briefing however was unable to attend as a result of she was out of city for Thanksgiving.
“From what I heard in regards to the briefing, there was completely no proof that Fulgent had harmed something or had a relationship with the Chinese language authorities that harmed the data that is perhaps contained within the samples they’re testing.” “She informed the Instances.
The county’s contract with Fulgent prohibits disclosure of knowledge with out the county’s written consent and requires the corporate to retailer and course of information within the continental United States, the county stated in an announcement launched Monday.
Quite a few federal companies, together with the Division of Homeland Safety, are contracting with Fulgent, which is licensed by the Meals and Drug Administration, accredited by the School of American Pathologists, and licensed by the California Division of Public Well being, the Instances reported, in keeping with an announcement from the District. The corporate relies in Temple Metropolis.
“If a reputable menace is confirmed or the federal authorities takes steps to revoke its certification, we’ll instantly take steps to make sure that no worker information is misused,” stated the district’s assertion.
County workers should register their vaccination standing with Fulgent. Those that will not be vaccinated should submit check outcomes frequently.
