While most of France has been ordered to stay home amid a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, rubbish collectors are still out performing an indispensable task: keeping the streets clean.Paris authorities have provided them with masks, extra gloves and hand sanitizer — a welcome protection, though not enough to allay their concerns. “This job is already risky because there's a lot of bacteria in trash,” says Fred Romil. “But we're doing our best.”For once, the essential nature of their work has not gone unnoticed, with rounds of applause and gestures of thanks now part of their routine.
