City of Somerton forms early warning response program to protect community from coronavirus

Partnership involves county public health, University of Arizona

SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The City of Somerton announces Sunday that it has formed a partnership with the Yuma County Public Health Department to help further the COVID-19 Community Protection Early Warning Response Program.

University of Arizona's Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA) operates the program. It also monitors levels of coronavirus in wastewater through samples collected around the community.

YCEDA recently detected alarmingly high levels of COVID-19 in wastewater samples collected from the Valle de Sol Subdivision. Anyone living in this area should take the proper precautions.

The City says wearing face coverings when near people not from your household and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (when applicable) are effective methods of protection. These methods may help reduce the spread as well.

Sunset Health and Regional Center for Border Health Clinics would like to remind us that if you or a loved one shows symptoms of infection or were exposed to the virus, to please seek testing and take proper precautions.