Victorian health authorities say the discovery of coronavirus fragments in wastewater at Anglesea on Victoria's Great Ocean Road is a "cause of concern" and are urging residents and recent visitors with even the slightest symptoms to get tested.
Authorities detected the fragments in a sample of wastewater collected from the popular tourist town on September 22, with confirmation of the positive test results arriving on Tuesday.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) testing program commander Jeroen Weimar said it had been a while since positive cases had been recorded in the area, so the discovery was "a cause of concern".
"We know there is somebody who has either had coronavirus in the Anglesea area, or who has passed through, but it may also be somebody who is not yet aware that they have coronavirus," he said.
Victoria is currently in its school holidays period and regional Victorians are able to travel freely outside Melbourne under the current restrictions.
Damien from Great Ocean Road Resorts said he was a little worried about the local community.
But he said the the message for the locals and visitors alike was to be "alert but not alarmed".
"If you've got your holidays booked for Anglesea … we want you to come down if you're coming from a permitted area.
"Come down if you're feeling well."
The Surf Coast Shire has only had 16 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began and has not had any active cases since September 10.
A testing centre has been set up at Anglesea Memorial Hall on McMillan Street.
"They'll be there for the next five or six days and I'd encourage anyone in the Anglesea area who has any symptoms whatsoever, who feels remotely unwell … please come forward to get tested," Mr Weimar said.
In early September, testing was stepped up in the Apollo Bay area after virus fragments were also detected in the wastewater there.
More than three weeks later, authorities have concluded it is "unlikely that there is an active undiagnosed case" in that area, a DHHS statement said.
Wastewater samples are being tested from more than 30 sites across Victoria including Anglesea, which is one of 11 locations across the Geelong and Colac region.
Samples are also being taken from Mildura, Swan Hill, Ararat, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Wodonga, Benalla, Moe, Warragul, Wonthaggi and Traralgon.
