Discarded masks and gloves littering parking lots and streets are becoming an unsightly, and potentially harmful, consequence of people trying to be safe during the pandemic. “It’s hazardous material, the way I look at it,” said Roselle resident Tom Fox, who has seen the debris in front of his house on Irving Park Road.
Fox said people chucking gloves, masks or wipes after leaving a store but before getting into their cars are exacerbating the problem. “They throw these out the window and expect a homeowner or business owner to pick them up. What are they thinking?” he asked.
The experts agree. Masks and gloves are a health concern if improperly discarded, according to Christopher Covelli, a spokesman for Lake County’s crisis team. Personal protective equipment worn by someone who has COVID-19 symptoms, is pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic, is “very likely” to be contaminated, he said. “We ask the community to be very cognizant about not properly disposing of latex-type gloves, Covelli said. “Simply leaving them in a shopping cart for someone else to dispose of puts others at risk.”