By Alesha Capone
Residents and visitors to Werribee, Werribee South and Hoppers Crossing who display even mild COVID-19 symptoms have been urged to get tested for the virus, after viral fragments of the illness were detected in the inlet to the Werribee wastewater treatment plant.
The viral fragments were found in a wastewater sample collected on February 25.
With no known people in the area who have recently had COVID-19, authorities have today urged residents and visitors to the area since February 23 to get tested, if they display any symptoms.
Also on February 25, scientists found COVID-19 viral fragments in the inlet to the Lilydale wastewater treatment plant.
On Saturday, the state government announced a “weak detection” of viral COVID fragments in a wastewater sample which had been collected on February 22.
The catchment where the sample came from includes some or all of Taylors Hill, Plumpton, Hillside, Sydenham, Delahey, Caroline Springs, Burnside Heights, Kings Park, Albanvale, Burnside and Deer Park.
Wastewater monitoring is undertaken at 142 locations across Victoria, including 71 wastewater treatment plants and 71 sites within Melbourne metropolitan sewage networks.
Fragments of the virus detected in wastewater may be due to a person with COVID-19 being in the early active infectious phase or it could be because someone is continuing to shed the virus after the early infectious period.
Further information about the wastewater testing program: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/wastewater-monitoring-covid-19.
