Apr 24, 2020 (Japan Times) - Garbage collectors operating amid the coronavirus crisis are risking infection and struggling to keep operations running smoothly, leading them to call for the distribution of more protective items.
While municipalities are ramping up countermeasures against infection clusters, some operators have already ceased their activities and more businesses may be forced to take similar measures if workers are confirmed to be infected.
Now garbage collectors are urgently asking the government for protective equipment while experts point out that citizens can help at their level by complying with the sorting rules.
This month, Shuichi Takizawa, 43, a garbage collector in Tokyo, started wearing a raincoat instead of protective clothing while working.
“The weather is going to get hotter, I am not sure how long I can keep wearing it,†he said.
Takizawa, a comedian, now works five times a week as a garbage collector as he struggles to book comedy gigs, typically his main source of employment.
It’s common for collectors to breathe in dust on the job and the distribution of face masks from Takizawa’s workplace has ceased, prompting him to wear his own dust-proof mask that he washes for reuse.
He disinfects his hands and clothes every time he gets in the car. “It’s scary because this virus is invisible,†he said worriedly. Many of his colleagues are in their 70s and would likely get severe symptoms if they contracted COVID-19.
