Wangaratta’s mayor casts doubt over COVID-19 wastewater detection

Wangaratta’s mayor says using a wastewater detection of COVID-19 in the town to justify locking regional Victoria down doesn’t stack up.

Dean Rees told 3AW it was still up for debate whether that detection was even positive.

He said re-testing of sewage had since returned two negative results.

Victorian health officials remain tight-lipped when asked about the positive detection on Friday, with Jeroen Weimar telling reporters he’d provide a briefing “offline” about the matter.

Daniel Andrews used the wastewater detection as a key reason for locking all of the state down on Thursday.

“My indications were that we did have a positive a couple of days ago, then we had a negative, and then we had another negative,” Dean Rees said.

“Even the positive was maybe a false positive.

“So, to use Wangaratta as an excuse as to why we need to shut down Victoria statewide is probably not a good one, when we don’t have any cases.”

Press PLAY below to Wangaratta’s mayor voice his frustration