New York state health officials have said they are investigating a Brooklyn based healthcare provider on suspicion it violated state guidelines for distribution of Covid-19 vaccine, Reuters reported.

ParCare Community Health Network “may have fraudulently obtained Covid-19 vaccine, transferred it to facilities in other parts of the state in violation of state guidelines and diverted it to members of the public — contrary to the state’s plan to administer it first to frontline healthcare workers, as well as nursing home residents and staffers,” state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said in a statement.

“We take this very seriously and [the Department of Health] DOH will be assisting state police in criminal investigation into this matter,” he added.

ParCare said it is cooperating with the state authorities. In a statement, the company said it was striving “to provide critical healthcare services and administer Covid-19 vaccinations to those qualified to receive them under the New York State Department of Health’s guidelines, which includes frontline healthcare workers and first responders”.