Sanitation Workers Considered Essential And Busy With Rise In Residential Trash
BALTIMORE (WJZ) – While some services are suspended or modified amid the coronavirus pandemic, Baltimore City's residential trash and recycling pickup continues.
Baltimore City Department of Public Works Chief Spencer Morgan says more residential trash is generated with so many staying at home under Gov. Hogan's executive order.
"They're doing the work. Hey, man, show them some love," Morgan said. "'Cause they're out there doing it in these dangerous times."
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DPW officials have billed their essential workers "everyday heroes." The city approved a slight increase to the full-time employees' paychecks.
Sanitation worker Jerome Bethea said he'll take the "hero" title, but he views it more as a community service.
"We just serve the community the best job that we can. And, if people call us a 'hero,' that's fine. It's a good job. If people call us 'heroes', we can live with that," Bethea said. "We have a family also, so we feel the same thing that they feel. If there's 8 or 9 bags to a home, we just do what we have to do to make it easy for them and continue doing our job."
Chief Morgan said all crews are equipped with masks, gloves and sanitizer and are expected to wear the equipment on the job.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
