Hundreds of New Yorkers were able to get refunds for COVID-19 tests late last year that promised 24-hour turnaround times for results and failed to deliver.

Attorney General Letitia James' office last week announced 692 people were able to receive more than $122,000 who had paid for the expedited results but did not receive them. 

The refunds came following an investigation by James' office, which has also called on COVID testing companies that have claimed to be able to provide 24-hour results to amend their advertising. 

"We are still in the midst of this pandemic, and testing sites that advertise fast results are still required to deliver on those promises," James said. "New Yorkers depend on accurate and timely results to stay safe, and my office will continue to ensure that testing sites meet those standards and no one is cheated.”

The funds were paid by COVID testing company Clear 19. Two other COVID testing companies, ClearMD Health and SameDay Health, had previously refunded hundreds of thousands of dollars after failing to deliver on the promise of quick results. 

James' office last year announced last December it would begin investigating private COVID test providers who pledge 24-hour results during the holiday rush and rise in cases during the onset of the omicron variant but kept consumers waiting. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul's office on Friday reported New York's COVID case count now stands at 28.99 per 100,000 people, with reported cases rising in parts of New York City and the Mid-Hudson region. 

The state has shifted its approach on COVID testing in the last year, with large-scale sites giving way to at-home test kits that can be ordered through the mail or found at pharmacies.