LA Paid $62 Million for COVID Tests It’s Using Incorrectly

The City of Los Angeles spent more than $62 million in the first few months of the pandemic buying COVID-19 testing kits that were widely used contrary to the instructions of the Food and Drug Administration, according to invoices obtained by Motherboard via a public records request. And the tests continue to be used off-label in Los Angeles despite FDA warnings.

The Curative tests, which were granted an emergency use authorization by the FDA in April 2020, are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, a widely-accepted and accurate testing method when...