Coronavirus patients' trash should be treated as hazardous and medical waste, said health experts on Sunday.

COVID-19 patients in quarantine said local authorities have not provided a safe way for them to dispose of their garbage, which includes used tissues and leftover food that could potentially transmit the virus to other people.

The Ministry of Environment set some guidelines for waste disposal in health isolation areas but the problem has not been solved yet.

The ministry has also requested to dedicate a number of qualified employees to collect garbage from inside isolation areas.

This team would follow the suitable procedures including the use of protective equipment such as facemasks, head covers, long-sleeved tops, gloves, protective glasses and suitable footwear.

The ministry has also called for dedicating a number of trash trucks to collect garbage from these areas at least once a day and store it in designated rooms for no more than 24 hours.

The ministry confirmed that trash will be disinfected before it is transported and will not be thrown in main landfill sites.

The garbage will be handled based on official protocols and will be directly transported to designated areas.

The ministry called on citizens not to fill garbage bags more than two thirds of its full capacity, close it well and place it inside another bag to ensure nothing spills or falls out.

These concerns have been raised as COVID-19 has spread across all parts of the Kingdom and following an increase in the number of positive cases in Jordan, which led the government to impose home quarantine instead of institutional quarantine for those who do not show any symptoms.