As the omicron variant spreads – even among the vaccinated – and there’s a renewed focus on the need for accurate and timely COVID testing, we’re taking a look back at the lessons learned from our year-long investigation into the state’s troubled COVID testing lab.
Over the past year, this investigation gave a voice to brave whistleblowers who risked their careers in the interest of public health, and it shined a spotlight on shocking public health failures, which it appears the California Department of Public Health tried to hide.
CBS Sacramento has conducted dozens of interviews with whistleblowers and lab experts, submitted hundreds of public records requests, and reviewed thousands of pages of internal lab documents.
Still, public health officials tried to discredit the reporting, and whistleblower complaints, even after their own inspectors confirmed the findings and concluded that the lab posed “immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety” “likely to cause serious injury or harm, or death”.
The state didn’t warn the public, or even pause testing, as problems continued for nearly a year.
This 30 Minute Special Report is the culmination of a 14-month investigation. Each of the original daily newscast reports is linked below. For ease of navigation, we’ve also added video-chapter links to this version of the special report, THE COVID LAB: State Secrets Exposed.
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