The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has confirmed that a garbage collector in Southern Luzon has tested positive for Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The agency is concerned about the country’s garbage collectors for they are also considered as frontliners but they lack protective equipment.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu has written a letter to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año recommending the garbage collectors to use protective equipment such as mask, face shield, and gloves.
Health facilities are urged to segregate their trash through color coding. Green for biodegradable wastes, black for non-biodegradable and residual wastes, and yellow for hospital wastes.
The waste has to undergo disinfection before it is collected and after it is put in the sanitary landfill.
Garbage trucks will be required to be cleaned before and after operations and to bring disinfectant agents.
Meanwhile, the DENR also urges private companies to pay for the medical expenses of their garbage collectors if they test positive for COVID-19.
Report from Cleizl Pardilla
