Fragments of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected at the Luggage Point (servicing the Brisbane Metro North area and some inner-city suburbs on the southside), Marlin Coast (Cairns) and Kawana (Sunshine Coast) wastewater treatment plants.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said anyone with symptoms, no matter how mild, should come forward and get tested.
"Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting, and loss of taste or smell," Dr Young said.
"It is very important people with symptoms come forward right away and get tested – we can't be complacent, we're still in this pandemic."
"It is critical we detect any cases that we may not be aware of as quickly as possible through our testing system, to contain any potential spread.
"We are concerned by the new variants that are emerging overseas that are more contagious than previous variants we have seen in Queensland.
"It's also possible that this detection relates to previous COVID-19 cases that can shed viral fragments for a couple of months after they are no longer infectious."
If you'd like to know which suburbs are included this catchment, visit the Queensland Health wastewater areas webpage.
