The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has repeated its call to protect garbage collectors from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), following the confirmation of the first reported case of a garbage collector testing positive for the disease.
The DENR emphasized the need for a clean environment as the country is fighting against the pandemic, according to a report.
Local government units (LGUs) as well as garbage contractors should practice waste segregation. In addition, garbage collectors should wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during their operations as they are also vulnerable to the disease, the DENR advised.
However, garbage collectors remain unprotected as they go about their operations despite the threat of COVID-29.
This pushed DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu to ask the help of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
Cimatu recommended seven important measures in his letter-recommendation to Año, which mandated garbage collectors to wear PPE; proper segregation of solid waste at source; regular collection of garbage; and, disinfection of garbage bags prior to collection and loading at the garbage truck and upon disposal at the sanitary landfill.
Cimatu also said that unauthorized personnel should not be allowed to linger around the disposal area.
Cimatu also suggested a color-coding scheme for garbage bags to be implemented for proper segregation.
Other medical wastes including used PPEs should be properly stored prior to the collection, he concluded.
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