Pearson Airport in Mississauga tests wastewater to catch new COVID-19 variants
Published August 30, 2022 at 10:02 am
Pearson Airport in Mississauga has been testing wastewater in an effort to identify any new COVID-19 variants that might make their way into Canada.
The program, in partnership with local and federal health agencies, was launched in January and is expected to continue until next March.
Under the initiative, Pearson officials and local and federal partners are monitoring sewage at the airport’s largest terminal in efforts to detect any potentially deadly new variants of the virus that could be entering Canada.
The program is reportedly the first of its kind at a Canadian airport.
Wastewater is collected from planes and airport washrooms and then tested for any variants.
Pearson is Canada’s largest and busiest airport and also the country’s busiest ports of entry.
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Most pandemic-related restrictions at Pearson were greatly scaled back or eliminated altogether earlier this year as Ontario and Canada reopened after two years of shutdowns and other strict measures.
However, health officials–both local and federal–have maintained that COVID-19 cannot be ignored moving forward and that people and organizations still need to be vigilant in following proper health procedures.