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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Wastewater testing in Massachusetts is showing an increase in the presence of COVID in the state, according to new data from Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
The latest data shows the presence of COVID in wastewater is up to levels not seen since around January of this year. The Massachusetts Department of Health reported 5,179 new cases of COVID on Friday, Dec. 3. Back in January 2021, the state reported over 6,000 cases in a single day twice.
Read More: First Mass. Case Of COVID-19 Omicron Variant Has Been Detected
Water at the Deer Island Treatment Plant is tested three to seven times a week by Biobot Analytics to look for the presence of COVID RNA to help indicate how many people in the state may have COVID. This testing is meant to complement normal clinic testing for COVID.
This rise in the wastewater data comes as the first case of the Omicron variant was reported in the state. The Massachusetts Department of Health said in a statement the person who tested positive for the variant is a woman in her 20s from Middlesex County. This made Massachusetts one of the 17 states with a confirmed case of the omicron variant.
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