Home Business NewsGovernment to monitor waste water to track coronavirus

Government to monitor waste water to track coronavirus

by LLB Politics Reporter
12th May 20 10:16 am

The Prime Minister is considering a new alert system to monitor waste water to track the rate of coronavirus on a local level.

Johnson was asked will the new system will eventually identify local flare-ups if coronavirus infection is detected in the water supply.

He said, โ€œYes indeed, the intention is the Covid alert system in time will be sufficiently sensitive and flexible as to detect local flare-ups, so that for instance, if Covid is detected in the water supply of a certain town, then steps can be taken, or in a school, in an area, then steps can be taken on the spot to deal with that flare-up.โ€

He added, โ€œMeasures can be taken to keep the R down locally as well as nationally.โ€

Later Downing Street clarified Johnsonโ€™s comments that the traces of coronavirus will be found in sewage, not drinking water.

The Prime Ministerโ€™s official spokesman said: โ€œYes, that specifically is a reference to sewage or waste water, as it is more politely described.

โ€œSome studies have been carried out overseas on this and I think it is something we are looking at as a possible way of seeing if you could track the rate of infections locally.โ€

The spokesman said officials are investigating whether sewage samples will enable them to โ€œtrack if the virus is more prevalent in some parts of the country than in others.โ€

They said, โ€œObviously it is just one of a number of ways we could do that.

โ€œTo the best of my knowledge, it is something we are looking at doing rather than something we are doing already.โ€

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