Page 26 - bon-dia-aruba-20200731

A26 U.S. NEWS
Friday 31 July 2020
Philadelphia trash piles up as pandemic stymies its removal

By SHAWN MARSH ditions, hazard pay and
Associated Press more personal protection
What would Ben Franklin equipment. Meanwhile,
think? they continue to work over-
The Founding Father who time trying to get back on
launched one of America's schedule.
first street-sweeping pro- The Streets Department
grams in Philadelphia in the suspended recycling col-
late 1750s would see and lections on Monday and
smell piles of fly-infested, Tuesday this week so crews
rotting household waste, could focus just on trash.
bottles and cans as the city Residents were told to
that he called home strug- place recyclables out the
gles to overcome a surge following week and were
in garbage caused by the encouraged to use six sani-
COVID-19 pandemic. tation centers throughout
"It's just the smell of rot," said the city to avoid collection
James Gitto, president of delays.
the West Passyunk neigh- However, getting to a cen-
borhood association in ter is not easy for residents
South Philadelphia. Gitto such as Kara Kneidl, of the
said the situation devolved Kensington neighborhood,
through July into "a total who does not have a car.
mess" and he hired a pri- Bags of garbage sit along the street before being picked up in Philadelphia's Ogontz section in "I can't walk my trash to a
vate recycling company to this file photo from May 13, 2020. Associated Press location miles and miles
haul away his bottles and away, and we shouldn't
cans. liams. the coronavirus, which sty- Jacqui Bowman, who lives have to," she said.
For the City of Brotherly "I've never seen the amount mies efforts to get an up- in the University City neigh- The Streets Department
Love, another unfortunate of tonnage," Williams said. per hand on the increased borhood. commissioner is hoping the
nickname has been " Filth- Baltimore and Memphis trash. The number of em- Her trash sat at the curb for administration can supple-
adelphia." Poverty and lit- are among some of the cit- ployees varies each week nearly three weeks in the ment its workforce by hir-
ter often go hand in hand, ies facing similar problems. because some crews must summer heat and humid- ing new employees in Au-
and in the nation's poorest In Boston, some residents self-quarantine if a mem- ity and got drenched by gust. He could not say how
big city, the sanitation de- have reported rats the size ber tests positive, Williams heavy rainstorms before many would be added.
partment has been short- of cats. said, making it difficult for she posted photos on social Williams said the increase
handed and overworked. People are cleaning out the department to stay on media and complained to in trash was costing the city
The city's 311 complaint line garages and attics, Wil- schedule and for residents a city council member. It an extra $2.5 million to $3
received more than 9,700 liams said. That's in addition to know when their trash was taken away 24 hours million in disposal costs.
calls about trash and re- to household trash that has will be removed. later. Many residents believe bet-
cycling in July, compared increased as more people "If they say it's going to be "I can totally understand ter communication would
with 1,873 in February. cook at home or bring two days late, you can manpower issues related help ease some of their
Faced with social distanc- home takeout from restau- deal with that. But if you to the virus, but you don't frustrations.
ing restrictions, residents rants that have not yet fully don't know when it's go- want to add another pub- "I'm irritated at the city for
are staying home and gen- opened. His department ing to be picked up, you lic health issue to the exist- not being more organized
erating more trash than also has had to clean up have to put it out so that ing public health issue," she with all the taxes we pay
ever before — about a 30% after protests over racial in- it's there when they come, said. and keeping the citizens
increase in residential trash justice. and that's the problem if In June, sanitation employ- informed about what's go-
collections, said Streets Fewer sanitation workers it's left out there for days ees staged a protest call- ing on," Manayunk resident
Commissioner Carlton Wil- are available because of and days and days," said ing for safer working con- Michele Wellard said.q

Can the coronavirus spread through the air?

Can the coronavirus spread through the mal.
air? In a report published in May, researchers
Yes, it's possible. found that talking produced respiratory
The World Health Organization recently droplets that could remain in the air in a
acknowledged the possibility that CO- closed environment for about eight to 14
VID-19 might be spread in the air under minutes.
certain conditions. The WHO says those most at risk from air-
Recent COVID-19 outbreaks in crowded borne spread are doctors and nurses who
indoor settings — restaurants, nightclubs perform specialized procedures such as
and choir practices — suggest the virus inserting a breathing tube or putting pa-
can hang around in the air long enough tients on a ventilator.
to potentially infect others if social dis- Medical authorities recommend the use
tancing measures are not strictly en- of protective masks and other equipment
forced. when doing such procedures.
Experts say the lack of ventilation in these Scientists maintain it's far less risky to be
Mohammad Karbalaei wearing no protective face mask
speaks with The Associated Press at Tehran's Grand Bazaar, situations is thought to have contributed outside than indoors because virus drop-
Iran, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. to spread, and might have allowed the lets disperse in the fresh air, reducing the
Associated Press virus to linger in the air longer than nor- chances of COVID-19 transmission.q