A SECOND test of Castlemaine's wastewater has come up clear of COVID-19 fragments.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Castlemaine Health said the virus was not detected in the sample taken on December 17.
Daily test results between December 18 and 22 were also expected to be clear.
It comes after low levels of viral fragments were detected in samples taken at Castlemaine's wastewater treatment plant last week.
The health service said a likely explanation was that a person or people shedding the virus might have visited the area.
Chief executive Ian Fisher said the information Castlemaine Health received from the beginning indicated levels of the virus detected in the community's wastewater were very low and likely to be isolated.
"This has now been confirmed," Mr Fisher said.
The health service said people who had recovered from COVID-19 and were no longer infectious continued to shed the virus for weeks.
"DHHS report seeing similar patterns in multiple locations across the state and expect this to continue. It is not a cause for concern," Castlemaine Health said in a statement.
However, Mr Fisher said it was still vitally important any Victorians with symptoms, no matter how mild, got tested and stayed home.
Bendigo Health chair Bob Cameron listed COVID-19 fragments in Castlemaine wastewater among the factors for increased testing in the region at the start of the week.
We have removed our paywall from this story about the coronavirus. This is a rapidly changing situation and we want to make sure our readers are as informed as possible. If you would like to support our journalists, subscribe here.
