On March 3, the DaNang Department of Natural Resources and the Environment deployed the content of Official Letter No. 922/BYT-MT of the Ministry of Health on strengthening management of waste collected from COVID-19 patients during their at-home isolation and treatment.

According to the official dispatch, domestic waste generated from COVID-19 patients’ isolation rooms is being managed at home, including discarded fabrics and clothes, and masks and personal protective clothing disposed by caregivers is considered infectious waste that must be placed in a bags or dustbin sealed as “Waste with risk of containing SARS-CoV-2”.

Types of domestic waste generated from other areas of the house where the patients stay should be classified according to local guidelines to be treated in accordance to the regulations.

The municipal/provincial authorities shall develop a plan to collect, transport and treat waste generated by coronavirus-infected patients who are undergoing at-home treatment.

In particular, there must be certain people who are in charge of collecting infectious waste bags and containers and taking them to designated places of storage for their transfer to suitable functional units for handling.

During the collection process, the mouth of the waste bag must be tied tightly to prevent re-contamination whilst the waste container must be covered with a tight lid to ensure that the waste does not leak, causing the coronavirus spread to the community.

Reporting by NAM TRAN-Translating by A.THU