A researcher in Sudbury, Ont., says he’s disappointed the province is ending its wastewater surveillance program to track COVID-19 and other viruses in municipal systems.

“I would be lying if I said that I don’t feel sad to let the people go,” said Gustavo Ybazeta, a researcher at the Health Sciences North Research Institute.

Ybazeta said six people work at the lab, testing local wastewater for COVID-19 and other viruses like influenza and even sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and chlamydia.

While they will continue to conduct research on ways to monitor for viruses in wastewater, losing the surveillance program means at least half of those scientists will lose their jobs, he says.

Ybazeta said there are a dozen labs across Ontario that face the same fate.