Isolating staff delay garbage pick-up

| 29/10/2021 | 46 Comments
Cayman News Service

(CNS): An undisclosed number of Department of Environmental Health staff members are now in quarantine, which means the residential garbage collection services are being delayed in some areas, officials have said. DEH Director Richard Simms explained that the rise of COVID-19 cases in the Cayman islands is starting to impact the department’s garbage collection schedules.

“We are seeing a trickle effect with DEH persons having to quarantine. However, we are committed to give continuation to our weekly routine. We will always seek to make our collections on time, but we recognise that some routes may be delayed by a day or so,” he said.

Michael Haworth, DEH Assistant Director for Solid Waste, pledged to ensure the health and safety of all its employees and the members of the public they serve.

“We are doing all we can in terms of minimising risk in the workplace. We have COVID-19 protocols in place for employees to protect themselves and co-workers. Nevertheless, DEH staff, like everyone else, have families and homes and are not immune to community spread,” he added.

For more information call the DEH at 949-6696

email dehcustomerservice@gov.ky or visit the DEH website or its Facebook page.


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Category: Local News

Comments (46)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Until government stops with their widespread isolation, more services will be impacted.

    Only persons that have tested positive should be required to isolate.

    • Anonymous says:

      At some point I suspect we’re going to have majority of people in a critical service become infected, and that’s the point when we’ll all just learn to live with it.

      My gripe is, despite many people still caring, more don’t, and it’ll spread regardless.

      I’m pro mask/vax.. but it’s become tempting to remove the mask these days. It’s like, let’s just get this over with..

  2. Anonymous says:

    Nothing to do with this article, but can the Weather Service check on the RADAR. Not working since 21st, blame it on Covid or is it down for Maintenance again?

  3. Anonymous says:

    Intial stages of outbreak isolation and quarantine ok. Now with widespread community transmission even higher than uk and usa rates in peak periods we should trt it like flu. Do not test as u like. Just test symptomatics isolate positives and trt as needed. Dont find all asymptomatic positives ans isolate them and quarantine their families and close contacts as that equals to whole Island in 2 weeks.
    Let us be practical.
    Other alternative 3wks lock down. At least that will curtail new transmissions

  4. Anonymous says:

    Stop the isolation BS or at least limit isolation to only those who have become seriously ill and require hospitalization. At some point isolation has to end or we will all be isolated in an asylum. Madness!

  5. Anonymous says:

    Hmm I thought the garage trucks were already isolated? I would not go near them so who are they isolating from…they are out doors wearing masks…if they are not ill they should working.

  6. Anonymous says:

    All services on island will grind to a halt shortly if you keep this quarantine nonsense up, doesn’t take a genius to figure that out!

    • Anonymous says:

      Profits and parties over the people. COOL, COOL

    • Anonymous says:

      That or we will all continue life.

      I hated the comparison to the flu, because mortality rates are so much higher, but it seems we’re going to have to live with this as we did before with the flu.

      Stay home when ya feel bad, get vaccinated, and hope for the best.

  7. Sheriff says:

    Good grief by this time next week the entire island will be “in quarantine.”

  8. Anonymous says:

    So…same as usual then.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Director for Solid Waste?
    Then I am assuming we have Directors for Semi-Solid Waste and Not So Solid Waste?
    What do they have to say about this?

    Let me guess? It’s all a load of solid waste?

    • Beaumont Zodecloun says:

      I fear you are but one small jocularity away from a neo-Monty Python skit. I say go for it.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Surely we can contract out the service until DEH is restored to full staff.

    • Anonymous says:

      Contract the private sector. What? You got to be kidding me. I used a private sector company for 6 months but had to return to the civil service garbage collection.

      Not every private sector entity performs more efficiently than government. If you don’t believe we call you bank and see if you can speak to a live person.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes he can as the “dump it down dyke road” boys need jobs

  11. Anonymous says:

    True leaders would be on the back of the trucks themselves filling the gaps instead of making propaganda visits to various agencies. Looking at you Wayne, JuJu, Sabrina, Bernie, etc.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Another example to support the position that the PACT administration is not adequately prepared to manage the community spread of COVID-19. It is time for a dose of honesty and some accountability from the government.

    • Anonymous says:

      @1:35pm So what’s your plan? What is your solution to these issues?..Are you able to tell covid where to go and who to infect? I’m so disgusted with this foolishness about blaming the government for every covid case that exists.

      The fact of the matter is you and many like you who refused to go and get vaccinated like both of governments have been asking you to do are the first to be complaining about the government not doing the right thing.

      We have been shut down from the entire world because people like you selfishly believe that has long as the government can dole out free money to you and others to stay home and do nothing but get on social media and complain, that the majority of us who have done our part must continue to suffer for you. Show me one other government in the world that has done better at suppressing the virus and only had two deaths in 18 months? Even now how many people do we have hospitalized? How many people are on ventilator? I would said we have done a heck of a job.

      We have to move on now. Anyone can catch the virus vaccinated or not vaccinated. It is the survivability after catching it that matters. The numbers have proven that the vaccine works. We have nearly 80% of our population vaccinated but the virus found the ones that were not vaccinated and it exploded from there. Unfortunately these were our children who could not yet be vaccinated but had they been we probably would be in a much better position.

      There is no way under God’s green earth that you, the government, or anyone else for that matter, will know where covid will strike next. The Government has consistently stepped up to the plate for every situation but they will never be able to please everyone particularly those who couldn’t give a rats behind or those who would rather stay in disbelief that covid even exists…I’ll bet they believe it now..you wait until Mama or Daddy has to go into the hospital and get on that ventilator to try to survive because you encouraged them not to get vaccinated because it wasn’t real and was just a flu. I hope you can live with yourself if they die because of your negligence. I hope too that if you get covid that you will be one of the 99% that you always talk about that will never have to be hospitalized or die from it.

      Stop being constantly critical of everything and instead try to offer to help and be a good citizen wherever possible. Offer suggestions, offer to help, come up with solutions but for God’s sake don’t just stand in the back of the room and bitch and complain about everything.

      • Anonymous says:

        OK. Can we please have some more social distancing. Can we ask people not to trick or treat? Can we suspend the census, or move it online? Can we tell office workers to work from home wherever possible? Can we require frontline government workers to be vaccinated? Can we restrict indoor dining to the vaccinated only?

        All partial solutions. All freaking obvious! All capable of flattening the curve, avoiding an overwhelming of healthcare, and saving lives!

        • Anonymous says:

          Don’t eat out. Restaurants are a hotbed for viruses and bacteria. Sanitise when you enter, but then you touch a chair, table surface, silverware, glasses etc. not to mention what comes out of the kitchen. Food servers also make good carriers.

        • Anonymous says:

          We already have social distancing in place and it bothers me that people have to think this has to be legislated for them to do it. Common sense doesn’t seem to prevail anymore. It is hard to believe that after all this time that people avoid washing their hands or use the sanitization stations provided at stores, or for that matter refuse to wear a mask. This is just good common sense, I don’t need to have the Government legislate that for me, but I guess if that is what it takes then maybe the Government should make it law.

          We can ask until we are blue in the face for people not to gather in large crowds such as trick or treat or other parties but again you can’t legislate common sense. Even when this was a law, the police did very little about it and unfortunately, our Police Department are not very good at collecting evidence that win cases so most of the breaches are never prosecuted. The elected Government can put the laws in place but at the end of the day they do not have the power to charge and bring these people to court and they have no power over the decision of the Judges.

          I don’t think we should suspend the census as this is critical information needed for decision making going forward for the next 10 years. Because of covid it has actually been 11 years. I don’t disagree that wherever possible we should use technology.

          The government can recommend but cannot tell/require office workers to work from home wherever possible but businesses should step up to the plate and do this for themselves and the safety of their employees. I believe though since the epidemic started quite a few business have found this a better way to do business and in some cases a savings in overhead expenses.

          The Government should require that front line Government workers should be vaccinated and if not, in order to continue their employment, they should be tested on a regular basis. The private sector is already doing this so why not Government?

          In most provinces in Canada right now and in particular Quebec and Ontario, the vaccine passport, (QR code) similar to what we have here through the HSA is required to enter any restaurant. This means inside and outside, no exceptions. As most vaccinated people in Cayman have them now, it should not be that difficult to implement. For visitors, they have to be vaccinated before coming here, so their proof of vaccination should be sufficient.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Looks like we need to mandate vaccine for all

  14. Anonymous says:

    Hmmm….just think of all overtime waiting on them when they do come back to work! KERCHING!!!!!

  15. Anonymous says:

    We would not have this damn problem if all Cayman Islands government workers got vaccinated. We need a mandatory vaccination now before it is too late.

  16. Anonymous says:

    It is very simple. Isolated because they have tested positive for COVID or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Isolating for what exactly?How very stupid.

    • Randall Flagg says:

      Yeah, it’s really stupid to slow the spread of a disease that has killed millions globally.

      • Anonymous says:

        Randall Flagg, give it up

        On here you will find some really dense individuals – some intentionally so and others can’t help themselves

        Epidemiology is hard enough to spell for me, even with spell check😂😂😂

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