NATIONAL NEWS - SARS-CoV-2 levels in most wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) around the country remain low and stable, but there have been small increases in some areas, such as Cape Town.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says in its latest report on Wastewater-based Epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 that the small increases have been picked up in the following areas:
Gauteng
Tshwane North (Baviaanspoort WWTP) and Johannesburg (Driefontein and Ennerdale WWTPs);
KwaZulu-Natal
eThekwini (Central WWTP);
Western Cape
City of Cape Town (Zandvliet WWTP); North West – JB Marks (Potchefstroom WWTP) and Bojanala (Rustenburg WWTP).
Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5
The NICD says genomic sequencing data available up to week 30 showed the presence of the Omicron variant in all samples across South Africa with evidence of Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, predominantly circulating in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and City of Tshwane.
The public can view SARS-CoV-2 levels at wastewater treatment facilities across all the provinces on the NICD dashboard here: https://wastewater.nicd.ac.za/.
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