There has been an unexpected COVID-19 detection at Marlin Coast Wastewater Treatment Plant in samples taken on Tuesday 2 November 2021.
The wastewater plant services parts of Barron, Caravonica, Clifton Beach, Kamerunga, Kewarra Beach, Macalister Range, Palm Cove, Smithfield, Trinity Beach, Trinity Park, and Yorkeys Knob.
Testing rates in the far northern region region are currently very low and as such it is unlikely that Queensland Health will pick up on cases early. Waste water detections can be an early indicator of COVID-19 disease circulating in the community undetected. Queensland Health has partnered with researchers from the University of Queensland and the CSIRO to deliver the wastewater surveillance program for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Anyone with any symptoms of COVID-19, no matter how mild, should get tested immediately, and self-isolate until you receive your test result. The fragments could either indicate the presence of an undiagnosed case of COVID-19 in the community or that a case who is no longer infectious is still shedding fragments of the virus.
To learn more about the wastewater surveillance program, click HERE.
To find a testing location or drive-through clinic near you, and to book an appointment online, visit http://www.covid19.qld.gov.au
If you have any concerns for your health, phone your GP, phone 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or present to your closest emergency department.
