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No detections as COVID-19 sewage testing begins in Geraldton

Headshot of Liam Beatty
Liam BeattyGeraldton Guardian
A scientist holds a petri dish uses a pipette to remove a sample of solution.
Camera IconA scientist holds a petri dish uses a pipette to remove a sample of solution. Credit: Getty Images

Wastewater testing for COVID-19 in now underway in Geraldton with the latest results showing no evidence for any hidden cases of the virus in the community.

Weekly testing for traces of the virus begun in the Perth last year and this month was expanded to include regional centres including Geraldton.

Samples are tested for viral fragments of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 with the aim of providing an early warning system for undiagnosed cases in the community.

Today, Health Minister Roger Cook revealed the latest results from regional WA show there has been no detections of the virus in the sewerage.

"We have been fortunate to have no community transmission of COVID-19 in Western Australia for more than nine months,” he said.

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"The results are what we expected to see. The only positive detections have been related to the cases of COVID-19 in hotel quarantine.”

Albany, Broome, Busselton, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, and Northam were added to the program this month while Bunbury, Esperance, and Port Hedland are set to join next week.

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