Abbott Laboratories, the maker of BinaxNOW COVID-19 tests, slammed “bad actors” for reselling the at-home kits for well above their retail price as supplies remain scarce this week.
Over-the-counter COVID-19 tests are in high demand as the Omicron variant drives a record surge in daily infections. The shortage has prompted reports of BinaxNOW COVID-19 tests and other kits reselling for triple their retail price in online stores and other secondary markets.
“I can tell you that we work directly with our distributors and retailers to ensure our tests remain affordable,” an Abbott Laboratories spokesman told the Post. “It’s unfortunate that a small minority of bad actors are taking advantage of this situation to re-sell the test once it’s on the open market.”
Abbott Laboratories hasn’t changed the retail price of its COVID-19 test kits since they were launched, the spokesman added. Currently, the company manufactures 70 million tests per month, with plans to increase production in the near future.
“I am working with my team every day to see if we can get us to 100 million,” Abbott Laboratories CEO Robert Ford said in an interview on Thurday, according to Bloomberg.
The US reported nearly 1 million daily COVID-19 infections on Monday, establishing a new global record. President Biden has pledged to distribute 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests to address the shortage.
Walmart and Kroger recently raised prices for BinaxNOW kits after the expiration of their 100-day deal with the White House to sell the tests “at cost.” Walmart is selling BinaxNOW kits for $20 each, while Kroger is selling them for $24 per kit.
Earlier this week, The Post reported instances of apparent resale price-gouging at New York City stores. And last month, New York Attorney General Letitia James urged the public to report violations after her office received reports of tests “being unlawfully sold for more than $40 and up to $70 per package.”