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Delta variant vanishes from Altamonte Springs-area wastewater, but COVID levels remain high

Results come more than a 70% decrease a week ago

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – New test results show levels of COVID-19 are slightly higher in the wastewater from the Altamonte Sewer Service Area.

It comes after more than a 70% decrease a week ago in virus levels of the omicron variant.

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Martz explained the levels of the virus increased substantially in the Casselberry Sewer Service area.

“This past Thursday, we saw after the spike of omicron what we saw is a plateauing and a tipping up in the Casselberry service area of the amount of COVID,” said Frank Martz, city manager of Altamonte Springs.

[RELATED: COVID-19 detected in Altamonte Springs wastewater declines, officials say]

Martz said the wastewater samples are from Jan. 13, though he explained the latest sample showed no levels of the delta variant in the wastewater. That’s the first time that’s happened since July.

“In our sample on Thursday, we didn’t find any of the delta variant so that’s a significant thing. We are going to trend that over time through testing,” He said.

Martz explained right now officials are monitoring the virus levels in the water to see if we’ve hit the peak of the omicron wave, something experts have predicted to happen soon.

“The testing that we will do this week and next week will tell us if it’s a sustained trend,” Martz said.


About the Author

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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