Residents of Widnes and Runcorn have been advised to take extra precautions when disposing of household waste during the coronavirus outbreak.
Halton Council has issued the extra instructions for people who have confirmed cases of COVID-19 or have symptoms and are self-isolating.
Residents in these categories have been asked to dispose of any “personal waste” such as tissues and disposable cleaning cloths in a separate rubbish bag.
Before being put out for collection, this bag should be sealed and placed in another bag, which should also be sealed and then put to one side for 72 hours.
It can then be put in your normal household waste bin.
Any other household waste can be disposed of as normal, and the council expects to be able to maintain routine bin collection.
A spokesperson said: “We have robust business continuity plans in place to ensure we can maintain the refuse collection service.”
Click here to read today's top news stories and click here for the latest coronavirus updates.
Several other councils across the UK have issued similar advice in order to protect bin collectors from the virus.
The government has also advised people to clean frequently touched surfaces like door handles, table tops and remote controls with bleach or detergents.
