Bangkok places biohazard bins throughout the city for used face masks

To help combat the spread of Covid-19 in Bangkok where cases have soared past 10,000 over the past month, more biohazard garbage bins are being placed throughout the city to dispose of used face masks and other waste that could be contaminated with the virus.

Medical waste in Bangkok has increased to 20 tonnes per day since the start of the recent outbreak, leading city officials to deploy another 1,000 biohazard bins. Residents are told to separate used face masks from other garbage and place the masks in sealed plastic bags before throwing them away in the specified bins. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang says the bright orange bins are for face masks.

“The bins for used face masks will be coloured in orange while the garbage bags for medical waste are red to indicate it needs to be disposed of properly… These bins will be placed at district offices, health service centres, hospitals, city halls, schools, sport centres, youth centres, fire stations, public parks, markets and in front of shopping malls.”

Wearing a face mask is now mandatory in Bangkok, along with more than 60 other provinces. Violators face a fine of up to 20,000 baht.

Since April 1, Bangkok has reported 10,899 Covid-19 infections, including 830 new infections reported today. Hospitals and intensive care units in the city have become overcrowded, leading to some patients with mild symptoms to be sent to field hospitals in neighbouring provinces.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand