EDMONTON, AB – Wastewater is the focus of coronavirus testing all around the province.
Alberta’s UCP government announced early in September that it would be expanding the testing program to cover about 70% of the population by early October.
Health Minister Jason Copping confirms that form of virus tracking is taking place though researchers are looking at ways to make it more efficient.
“We just actually signed an updated agreement with the University of Calgary to get that more quickly,” said Copping on Wednesday. “One of the challenges in term of the testing is sometimes the tests are a week to 14 days behind, but we’re improving that process and continuing to watch other metrics.”
University of Alberta researchers up in Edmonton are also part of the wastewater testing program.
They say this type of monitoring can serve as an early warning system, but it in no way should replace clinical testing for COVID-19.