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Cologne / Frechen (dpa) - After a search at a company in Frechen, the Cologne district government is now contacting all buyers of corona rapid tests that have been illegally marketed nationwide.
The company's secured customer list is still being evaluated, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
However, it contains around 5700 customers, of whom between 4000 and 4500 should not have received the rapid test.
"The customers are currently all contacted by the district government and asked to immediately take the rapid tests out of the sale and return existing stocks to the district government," said the spokeswoman.
The case is about corona rapid tests, which, according to the authorities, were put into circulation by the company at gas stations, supermarkets, veterinary practices and breweries.
The group to which such tests may be submitted is strictly limited.
Doctors are one of them.
According to the district government, delivering outside the permitted group of people is an administrative offense and can be sanctioned with a fine of up to 30,000 euros.
The district government, together with the police and the public order office, searched the company's home and company.
She warned against a supposed safety through false negative tests, if these were carried out by lay people.
The rapid tests themselves should, however, be correctly approved and not objectionable.