I’m pleased to see the Miami-Dade County Solid Waste Management Dept. and the county office of the Florida Dept. of Health are working together to promote “Drain and Cover,” the public-awareness campaign to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illness.

In Miami, it would help if garbage- and recycling-can lids were closed after collection. The automated process involves a person who loads the can and replaces it when finished. It would only take a few seconds to closed the lid.

The cans collect rainwater, and it is difficult to empty them completely. This remaining water provides favorable conditions for mosquito breeding. As we head into the rainy season we need to drain and cover as much as possible, including the garbage and recycling cans.