MANILA, Philippines – As the Philippines sees a surge in coronavirus cases, the EcoWaste Coalition on Thursday urged the government’s COVID-19 task force to include the proper disposal of soiled masks as part of the minimum public health standards (MPHS).
In a statement, the environmental watchdog urged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to expand the anti-COVID MPHS being enforced by the authorities to include the safe disposal of used masks and other COVID-related discards.
Disposable masks should be wrapped in paper and discarded in a closed yet separate bin as the improper disposal of COVID-19 equipment may lead to a risk of being exposed to the coronavirus, the group said.
Earlier, the IATF issued Resolution no. 102, providing a stricter MPHS to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 during the surge in COVID-19 cases.
However, EcoWaste Coalition Zero Waste Campaigner Jove Benosa said the IATF had overlooked the need for proper disposal of used masks and other common protective items.
“We strongly suggest that used face masks, face shields, and other protective materials should be safely managed and disposed of at all times. This should also form part of the MPHS to safeguard public health and the environment from these potentially infectious discards, which are also polluting our streets and oceans,” Benosa said.
Aside from this, the group also called on local government units (LGU) to adopt or strengthen the existing ordinances that will “forbid and penalize” the improper disposal of used masks and other COVID-related waste.
“Local ordinances, if effectively enforced, will encourage citizens to safely manage and dispose of COVID-related waste instead of throwing them anywhere and everywhere,” he said.
The group suggested that non-medical frontliners should opt for reusable cloth masks as these can be washed and safely reused.
As of March 17, the Philippines has 635,698 COVID-19 cases, where 561,099 have recovered while 12,866 have died.– Liezelle Soriano Roy, trainee