A website and dashboard is now available to provide information from the COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance initiative.
The COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance initiative began as a partnership with the Department of Health and Community Services, Memorial University and the City of St. John’s in February, 2021. Wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 allows for the detection of the virus in a large population through genomic testing. Testing can provide an early warning of positive and asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the community, and can assist in public health guidance.
As part of the collaborative work in this emerging area of research, the samples collected are analyzed by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology laboratory in Winnipeg at no cost to the Provincial Government.
Since February, the program has expanded to nine communities across the province including St. John’s, Paradise, Conception Bay South, Gander, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Corner Brook, Deer Lake, Stephenville, and Clarenville, with more planned.
Quotes
“The new website and dashboard is an important tool to make data available to partners and the public. This is another step in the development of this unique initiative that alerts officials to the presence and potential transmission of COVID-19 in a community. I encourage everyone to visit the website to view the COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Strategy and access the information being collected through this initiative.”
Honourable Bernard Davis
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
“The COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance initiative has been a valuable partnership opportunity for my department and the Public Health team. This initiative and its expansion to seven sites across the province will assist in the early detection of the virus in our communities. This means Public Health will be able to act quickly to identify the possibility of COVID-19 in a particular area, supporting early detection and minimizing the risk of spread. The new website and dashboard will be a good resource that will help inform the public and our partners, as well as showcase the research happening on this front in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Health and Community Services
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Learn more
Wastewater Surveillance Dashboard
COVID-19 Updates and Information
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Media contacts
Lynn Robinson
Environment and Climate Change
709-729-5449, 691-9466
lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca
Lesley Clarke
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 699-2910
lesleyclarke@gov.nl.ca