As Cayman continues to ramp up measures to suppress the spread of COVID-19, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour has issued a warning to the public to properly secure its garbage to protect essential staff at the Department of Environmental Health.
“As minister for health, it is my responsibility to ensure all our essential workers are being cared for and are kept safe,” Seymour said, as he addressed the issue during Monday’s COVID-19 press briefing.
He said there is a heightened level of concern with the collection of all waste around the island, especially with Cayman’s COVID-19 cases now reaching 54.
“In an effort to ensure the privacy of those who are ill with the coronavirus, the DEH sanitation teams are following best practices while working under the guidance of the Public Health Department, at the Health Services Authority. Therefore, they are handling all garbage as if it is suspect [for] COVID-19 contamination – to ensure additional safety at all times,” he said.
Concerns have been raised about the level of protection being given to these essential workers. However, the minister assured they are being taken care off as their safety is a priority.
“Our DEH teams have been supplied with the necessary tools like hand sanitisers and the relevant personal protective equipment, such as gloves and masks, to ensure their safety. Additionally, the DEH is currently looking at ways to install onsite laundry services for its workers,” he explained.
He urged the public to consider the notion “if we keep them safe, we in turn keep you safe”.
Seymour said everyone has to do his or her part to slow the spread of the virus and that means ensuring that garbage is disposed of correctly.
“I am asking the public to follow the proper garbage-disposal guidelines, as outlined by the DEH,” he said, adding there are also specific instructions for disposing the trash of suspected COVID-19 patients.
Guidelines for COVID-19 patients
The guidelines for the disposal of garbage for households containing a person who has been confirmed to have COVID-19 state that personal waste, such as used tissues or cleaning cloths, must be securely stored within disposable garbage bags.
Those bags should be kept separate from household waste. The bags should then be placed into a second bag, tied securely and kept separate from other garbage in the home.
Waste should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being placed in an external or communal trash bin.
Gloves, if available, should be worn when removing garbage bags, and handling and disposing of trash.
It is recommended always to wash hands after handling or disposing of trash.
The guidelines advise that this practice of disposing waste from COVID-19 households continue until household members are retested and the results come back negative.
Other household waste can be disposed of as normal.
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