ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — For more than a year, the city of Altamonte Springs has been testing its sewer system for COVID-19. The test acts like a Doppler radar for detecting spread of the virus in the community.
Right now, the city is testing for seven COVID-19 variants, including the delta variant.
In two of the sewer service areas that are being tested, six of the seven coronavirus variants are present, and in this past month alone they have seen a steep increase in the amount of the virus detected.
The numbers have been going in the wrong direction over the last few weeks. The Altamonte Springs plant has seen a 1,400% increase in COVID-19 since July 1 — that’s a 4,000% increase from September 2020.
The average daily positivity rate right now is around 18%. Health officials are urging people to wear a mask, stay away from the vulnerable and talk to your doctor about getting the vaccine.
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COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
COVID-19 delta variant The COVID-19 delta variant has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. (WFTV Staff)
Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.
