Lewisham residents face bin collection delays in heatwave as refuse staff fall foul to the ‘ping-demic’

By Grainne Cuffe, local democracy reporter

Lewisham residents face delays to bin collections in the scorching heat as bin collection staff are self-isolating.

It comes as dozens of councils in England were forced to suspend bin collections due to staff self-isolating.

The so-called ‘pingdemic’ is also being blamed for food-shortages in supermarkets as swathes of staff are being told to stay home by the NHS track and trace app.

The Government announced on July 22 that supermarket depot workers and food manufacturers would be exempt from self-isolation rules.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson did not provide exact figures but said staff shortages will affect some collections on July 22 and 23.

He said: “Some refuse and recycling collections will be delayed this week due to a number of staff testing positive for Covid-19 or needing to self-isolate.

“This will affect some collections on Thursday, July 22 and Friday, July 23.

“We will continue collections over the weekend, so missed collections will take place on 24 to 25 July. We apologise for any inconvenience and ask for your patience.”

The council also put out a statement on Twitter – people wished the “wonderful” workers well and a speedy recovery.

A spokesperson for Lambeth Council did not provide figures on staff self-isolating but said there has been “no impact” on bin collections.

Southwark is not suffering any problems either, the council said.

Councillor Darren Merrill, cabinet member for a safer, cleaner borough, said: “Southwark is not currently experiencing any collection crew staff shortages because of Covid.”

A Local Government Association (LGA) spokesperson said many councils could possibly face “difficult decisions” if more staff are forced to stay home as they must proritise services that “protect the most vulnerable”.

He said: “Councils know how important waste and recycling is to their residents and have been working hard throughout the pandemic to keep these services running as best as possible.

“Local authorities and their contractors have a duty of care to their employees and must adhere to government guidelines on self-isolating when staff show symptoms of COVID-19 or are in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

“While most councils have been able to keep services running, many could possibly face difficult decisions and must prioritise services designed to protect the most vulnerable in their communities.”

Veolia, the waste company contracted in the three boroughs, is expected to provide a statement on July 23.