The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recognizes that companies everywhere are in the midst of responding to the impact of COVID-19 on business operations, including government stay-at-home orders that could see some operations temporarily close. Given these "extraordinary circumstances," the CPSC issued a notice that companies may not be in a position to carry out recall remedies as originally planned. Typically, when a company issues a product recall, the CPSC identifies the remedies available to the consumer on its recall list. Now, however, the CPSC recommends that consumers check with recalling companies for details about how the company is handling the recall in light of COVID-19. We encourage consumer product companies to work with the CPSC to determine what the best alternative remedy should be under the circumstances. In addition, as stated in the notice, companies should continue to advise consumers not to use a recalled product.
Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
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