EPA boss cautions against indiscriminate disposal of nose masks

The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has said that indiscriminate disposable of used nose and face masks will pollute the environment and spread the deadly coronavirus disease.

According to him, if used nose masks are awashed into the country’s river bodies, the trapped virus will be released into the river and that will transmit the spread of the Covid-19.

Mr. Kokofu stated that the way people dispose the masks is nothing to write home about adding that they are being littered all over the environment.

He said the public should be educated on the right way of disposing the nose masks and other personal protective equipment (PPEs).

Mr Kokofu was speaking in an interview with Kwame Tutu on Yen Sempa on Onua FM on Thursday, February 11.

He said that since the nose and face masks were introduced as the main PPEs against the coronavirus, the public was not educated on how to dispose them after usage.

Mr. Kokofu, therefore, advised that dustbins must be kept at vantage points purposely for the disposal of these masks and other PPEs in order to curb further spread of the virus.

“If these PPEs are not properly disposed and it rains, the used PPEs can find their way into our rivers to pollute the rivers with the deadly virus and re-infect us.”

He tasked the public to be careful of the second wave of the Covid-19 and the dangers of disposal of the PPEs.