AQW 21198/17-22

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 30/06/2021
Answered On Date: 19/07/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail outcomes of COVID-19 wastewater surveillance.

Answer:

The wastewater surveillance programme is currently testing samples from 14 wastewater treatment works twice per week. These sites were selected to achieve the broadest population coverage using a Geographical Information Science based approach.

Wastewater testing is being used to monitor and track virus activity. It complements the clinical surveillance by providing information on the prevalence and spread of the disease. Results from wastewater surveillance are also used by the Public Health Agency to inform approaches to COVID testing where appropriate. Information also provides a sentinel system to track virus levels in the community, which again inform public health intervention as appropriate.