Urgent alert for thousands of Melbourne residents as Covid-19 is found in sewage from 24 suburbs
- An urgent alert has been issued for Melbourne after Covid was found in sewage
- Viral fragments were detected in the Werribee wastewater treatment plant
- Residents in Tarneit, Werribee and Hoppers Crossing have been put on alert
An urgent health alert has been issued for Melbourne’s west after viral fragments of coronavirus were found in sewage.
Residents in Tarneit, Werribee and Hoppers Crossing are advised to get tested for Covid-19 if symptoms appear, after the virus was detected in the inlet to the Werribee wastewater treatment plant.
The viral fragments were found in a wastewater sample collected on February 25 – despite no locals recently testing positive to coronavirus.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said independent testing confirmed the result on Monday afternoon.
‘Anyone who has any symptoms of Covid-19 is urged to get tested, especially if you live in or have visited these areas from February 23 2021,’ the DHHS statement reads.
The warning for the three suburbs comes after viral fragments were detected at the Lilydale wastewater treatment plant.
Residents in Lilydale, Chirnside Park, Coldstream, Kalorama, Olinda, Montrose, Mt Dandenong, Mt Evelyn, Yarra Glen and Yering were advised to monitor for Covid symptoms and get tested if they appear.
‘Anyone who has any symptoms of COVID-19 is urged to get tested, especially if you live in or have visited these areas from 23 February 2021,’ the statement continued.
Health authorities have expanded testing sites in Lilydale and surrounding areas.
On Saturday, DHHS said a weak detection of viral fragments in a wastewater sample from Melbourne’s outer west had been collected on February 22.
The catchment includes some or all of Taylors Hill, Plumpton, Hillside, Sydenham, Delahey, Caroline Springs, Burnside Heights, Kings Park, Albanvale, Burnside and Deer Park.
Anyone who was in the area from February 20 to February 22 should get tested if Covid symptoms appear.
There are 142 locations across Victoria where wastewater monitoring is taking place.
‘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,’ DHHS said.
More to come