Coronavirus Watch: Pop-up test sites prey on vulnerable Americans

Pop-up coronavirus testing vendors have set up hundreds of sites nationwide in recent months, capitalizing on lax regulations, financial incentives and high demand for testing.

State officials have been warning residents to avoid unregulated sites. But many Americans – without access to free, quick and easy alternatives for coronavirus testing – have rushed to the locations anyway.

Read more from USA TODAY's Ken Alltucker and Grace Hauck on the opportunity that loosened regulations have created for bad actors to take advantage of ripe conditions.

It's Monday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the USA TODAY Network. Here's more news to know to start off your week:

• Olympic athletes in Beijing are speaking out about conditions they faced or observed in quarantine hotels in China used by athletes who test positive, including inedible food and little or no access to training equipment.
• Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey will announce plans today to lift his statewide mask mandate in schools effective March 7 as COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases plunge, administration officials confirmed Monday.
• The mayor of Ottawa declared a state of emergency for the city Sunday as thousands of protesters fighting against pandemic restrictions descended into the "freedom truck convoy" in Canada's capital.

See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 75% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 64% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

– Cady Stanton, USA TODAY digital editor fellow, @cady_stanton