Recycling, Trash Collection, Alley Cleaning Resumes Monday In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Recycling and trash collection as well as alley cleaning and mowing will resume Monday in Baltimore.
The city's Department of Public Works will resume normal operations this week after nearly 100 employees were quarantined due to several positive coronavirus cases among DPW employees.
Residents should expect recycling and trash collection to be on their normally scheduled day.
City officials said they noticed a spike in cases between May 29 and June 10, with new cases coming in every other day or third day. About three employees were hospitalized, officials said. All have returned from the hospital.
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Bureau Head for Solid Waste Director John Chalmers said as more cases started coming in, they did contact tracing, quarantined members the person testing positive was around, but as more came in they decided to shut down the entire operation.
The department officials added that they agreed with City Hall to make testing available to any employee at the yard who wanted it, but they could not be forced to be tested.
They then found out that a number of people had chosen or indicated to them they would be self-isolating- up to 30 people.
More than 100 employees returned to work on Wednesday, bringing the Eastern District up and running again.
Chalmers said they will again be providing employees with masks, gloves, hand sanitizers and PPE, and employees will have a laundry service for their uniform so potential contaminants aren't coming home with them.
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.
