Rising levels of virus detected in wastewater

NEW officiallyreported regional southern Covid19 cases have remained relatively steady in the past fortnight, but health officials are watching rising levels of the disease showing up in wastewater tests.

Dunedin is the only place in Otago and Southland which has more than 100 active cases of Covid. The 180 active cases recorded by the Ministry of Health on Sunday represented a rolling sevenday average of new cases of 25.

In all other regional centres barring Southland — where there was a small surge in cases — the number of active cases in the community barely changed from the preceding seven days.

However, actual case numbers almost always track lower than the number of cases wastewater testing suggests are actually in the community.

The latest survey by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research showed rising levels of Covid in six of the 11 southern centres which are tested.

Bluff, Invercargill, Balclutha, Queenstown, Alexandra and one of

the three testing spots in Dunedin all showed rising levels of Covid in the water, despite few cases in some of those locations being reported to health authorities.

Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand Southern medical officer of health Dr Michael Butchard said authorities were monitoring test

results, although the overall trend for the past two months had been one of declining case numbers.

‘‘As the Ministry of Health’s trends and insights report notes, ‘over the next couple of weeks, it is probable that cases, hospitalisations and mortality will continue to stabilise or slightly increase’,’’ Dr

Butchard said.

‘‘However, as immunity decreases over time, or if a substantially more transmissible variant emerges, there may be fluctuations in case rates in the future.’’

Some had feared an explosion of cases after the Government did away with most Covid19 health restrictions on September 12.

Dr Butchard cautioned that familiar public health measures still provided protection against Covid.

‘‘Wearing a mask is required in healthcare settings and still strongly recommended in many settings, including indoor spaces with poor ventilation and crowded places, especially where people have close face to face conversations.’’