Melbourne residents issued COVID-19 alert after virus fragments found in wastewater

• A COVID-19 alert has been issued for hundreds of thousands of Victorians after fragments of the coronavirus were found in wastewater in Melbourne
• The Victoria Department of Health said while no cases have been confirmed, residents in the identified areas should be on high alert for symptoms
• The health department said the fragments could have come from someone in the early infectious stages of the virus or someone who is continuing to shed the virus after the infectious stage has ended
• Alternatively, the fragments could come from a visitor or visitors to the area who are no infectious
• The fragments were detected between April 4 and April 12
• No new local cases were reported in Victoria over the past 24 hours, marking the 48th straight day of no community spread

A COVID-19 alert has been issued for hundreds of thousands of Victorians after fragments of the coronavirus were found in wastewater in Melbourne.

The Victoria Department of Health said while no cases have been confirmed yet, residents in the identified areas should be on watch and get tested if even the smallest of symptoms present.

“Viral fragments have been recently detected in wastewater samples taken from a sewer catchment in Melbourne’s southeast and a large catchment that services suburbs in Melbourne’s north, west and east,” the department said in a statement.

Health authorities said the unexpected detections could be due to someone in the early active infectious phase of COVID-19 infection being in the area, or it could be because they are continuing to shed the virus after the infectious stage has ended.

On the other hand, the health department said it’s possible the fragments are from a visitor or visitors to the areas who are not infectious.

The coronavirus fragments were detected in a major catchment that services several suburbs stretching from Melbourne’s northwest to the outer northeast between April 4 and April 12. Fragments in the Cranbourne and surrounding suburbs were identified between April 6 and April 12.

People who live in or visited the affected areas between these dates have been told to monitor themselves and keep an eye out for symptoms.

Coronavirus fragments have been detected in wastewater from catchments servicing:
-Cranbourne & surrounding suburbs (6-12 April)
-North, west & eastern suburban Melbourne (4-12 April)
People who’ve visited these areas should monitor for COVID-19 symptoms & get tested. #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/avLkloxCGP

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) April 15, 2021

Nevertheless, no new local cases were reported in Victoria over the past 24 hours despite over 17,000 tests conducted in a single day. Melbourne health services administered 3565 doses of vaccines yesterday.

This marks the 48th day in a row of no new local cases, though five new cases are in hotel quarantine.