Results of testing wastewater in the NWT for traces of Covid-19 are now available online.
The GNWT's Covid-19 dashboard has added a tab for NWT Wastewater Monitoring.
Health Minister Julie Green announced the addition of the wastewater portal in a news conference on Wednesday.
There are five categories for coronavirus detection on the site: unexpected detection, anticipated detection, trace detection – monitoring, no detection and no results.
Testing is ongoing in Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells and Inuvik. The portal includes data collection periods.
Yellowknife is the only community that currently has an "anticipated detection" notice based on data gathered between Feb. 8-10.
That period coincides with the confirmation of one case of Covid-19 in the city on Feb. 11. That case was said to be travel-related and public health was investigating its connection to a Westjet flight from Calgary on Feb. 8.
Early warning system for Covid
The wastewater program began in September 2020 as a way of finding traces of the virus in asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals.
Health officials believe the first case of Covid-19 in Fort Liard in January was possibly connected to a positive wastewater signal found in Hay River in the first week of that month.
Further monitoring showed the signal had disappeared by the end of January.