Benalla residents have been urged to get tested for COVID-19, after virus fragments were detected in the town's wastewater.
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The Victorian Department of Health and Human Service said coronavirus fragments were found in wastewater from Benalla and Portland.
"If you are a resident or have visited either of these areas from November 15-17, please be alert for symptoms," DHHS warned.
Residents should get tested at the Benalla Health Fever Clinic on Samaria Road if they have any symptoms including a sore throat, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, loss or smell or taste, or fever, chills and sweats.
A drive through COVID-19 testing clinic has been set up at the Benalla Racecourse near the Roy Hill Pavilion, Racecourse Road, Benalla. People can pre-register by calling 1800 314 741.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the virus fragments were were detected in untreated wastewater taken from Portland and from Benalla wastewater treatment plants on Tuesday, the 17th of November.
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It comes as Victoria recorded its 20th days with no new cases of COVID-19 detected.
The discovery of COVID-19 fragments in Benalla and Portland wastewater contributed to the decision to close the Victoria-SA border.
Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said health officials would work to exclude the possibility there was an active case in either area.
"In terms of the wastewater results, they are always a little bit difficult to interpret," he said.
"There's two possibilities; it could be positive because of an active case in the community, or a recovered case that is continuing to shed viral fragments.
"What we need to exclude is that possibility, that there is an active infectious case in these communities.
"It is possible a recovered case from Melbourne has visited these areas."
Fragments being detected in Apollo bay, Ararat and Anglesea, did not result in the discovery of any active cases.
But positive viral fragments were found in Kilmore and Shepparton just as active cases were confirmed.
"The message is, if you have been in Portland or Benalla since Sunday, and if you're symptomatic, even with the mildest symptoms, please get tested," Professor Cheng said.
Mr Andrews said he was confident those regional communities would step up and get tested.
"We will not hesitate to stand up additional testing sites if we need to - we're not certain that will be required at this stage - and we'll also move beyond symptomatic testing if we felt there was a need to do that," he said.
Sewage samples are tested for traces of COVID-19 on both sides of the border.
"Wastewater testing is expected to continue for the foreseeable future as an additional and complementary tool to the existing public health response," a DHHS spokesperson said in October.
"If fragments of coronavirus are detected in the wastewater of an area where there have not been recent positive cases, local communities will be encouraged to be more vigilant and get tested."