GOVERNMENT OF   
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES  
  
VIRGIN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH  
   
  
ST. CROIX OFFICE    
  
 
 
 
 
 
   
                    .THOMAS OFFICE 
3500 ESTATE RICHMOND   
 
 
 
 
 
 
      1303 HOSPITAL GROUND, SUITE 10 
CHRISTIANSTED, ST. CROIX, U.S.V.I. 00820-4370                                                                                                         CHARLOTTE AMALIE 
CHARLES HARWOOD MEMORIAL COMPLEX  
  
 
 
 
             ST.THOMAS, U.S.V.I. 00802-6722       
TEL: (340)718-6551 * FAX: (340)718-1376         
  
 
 
                 TEL: (340)774-0117 * FAX: (340) 777-4001  
  
              
PRESS RELEASE   
May 27, 2022  
  
  
  
    
                                        Ginny Dargan 
 
  
  
                                             Ginny.Dargan@doh.vi.gov  
 
VIDOH Applauds VIWMA in their COVID-19 Wastewater Testing - Another 
Successful Surveillance Mechanism to Detect COVID-19 Surges  
 
US Virgin Islands — The Virgin Islands Department of Health (VIDOH) DOH would like to 
inform the community that it is working collaboratively with the VI Waste Management Authority 
(VIWMA) to compare results from wastewater testing that has been ongoing at the VIWMA 
wastewater facilities since February 2021 to DOH human surveillance data. Both surveillance 
platforms confirm there is a COVID-19 surge. 
 
VIWMA is partnering with Biobot Analytics, of Cambridge, MA, to test and analyze these 
wastewater samples. The VIWMA testing takes place at 5 wastewater treatment facilities: two on 
St. Thomas (Mangrove and Redpoint), two on St. Croix (Anguilla and Fig Tree) and one on St. 
John (Cruz Bay) once a week. Additionally, in October and November 2021, VIWMA also ran a 
pilot program at seven Territorial elementary schools. The program ran for 6 weeks utilizing 
Biobot Analytics (www.biobot.io) to test wastewater to track COVID-19’s presence on a broader 
level in the territory. VIWMA hopes to resume that school-based testing program shortly. 
Biobot Analytics is a wastewater epidemiology company that analyzes sewage to provide public 
health analytics. This technology allows for studies to be conducted in a non-invasive, anonymous 
way. The wastewater data reports also include genomic sequencing to help identify and monitor 
variants including Omicron and future ones. Of note, the Biobot Analytic data showed the presence 
of the Omicron variant on November 21, 2021in the U.S. prior to the first clinical case reports in 
South Africa. 
“By doing wastewater surveillance we can combine efforts and compare results with the individual 
human sampling (COVID-19 antigen and PCR testing) that VIDOH regularly does with the 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Press Release 
VIDOH Applauds VIWMA in their COVID-19 Wastewater Testing - Another Successful Surveillance 
Mechanism to Detect COVID-19 Surges  
May 27, 2022 
Page 2 
 
findings from the VIWMA wastewater results,” said Alice Krall, Special Assistant to the 
VIWMA’s Executive Director Roger E. Merritt, Jr. “The agreement or alignment of these two sets 
of data further confirms the COVID trends that are being seen.  The testing done by VIWMA is 
yet another analytic tool that can serve as an early warning system to allow the VI to detect surges 
of COVID-19,” said Dr. Esther Ellis VIDOH Territorial Epidemiologist. 
 
To learn more about our Government and Enterprise platforms at our website, 
www.biobot.io/government & www.biobot.io/enterprise. More information on their mission and 
technology is available on their website, www.biobot.io. 
 
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