If your last name starts with A, you can be first at Robin Hood Bay

The City of St. John's is using an alphabetical system to stagger Phase 1 of reopening theRobin Hood Bay landfill Monday,more than a month after residential drop-off was closed due to COVID-19.

"It is expected that the number of visitors to this facility will be very high so please visit the residential drop off only if necessary," the city said in a press release Thursday morning.

Starting 8 a.m. Monday, residents must follow an alphabetized system to bring bagged household garbage and metal to the dump with more services being reopened by the end of May.

"Defer spring cleaning if you can to avoid overloading of the facility," the city said.

The schedule, based on the first letter of a resident'slast name, is to control the number of visitors expected at the dump, as follows:

• Monday: surnames A-E.
• Tuesday: surnames F-J.
• Wednesday: surnames K-O.
• Thursday: surnames P-T.
• Friday: surnames U-Z.

Easing into regular operations

Drop-off will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, with extended hourson Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for any user who can't make it to Robin Hood Bay during regular hours on their assigned day, and it will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

The city said people should expect delays as access will be restricted to enforce physical distancing requirements, and only bagged garbage can be dropped off in this first phase to move people through quickly.

On that note, the city is askingpeople to limit the size of dump loads so that they can be unloaded in less than five minutes "out of respect" for others. Mayor Danny Breen has said 1,200 cars visited the site the day before it closed. Only commercial and municipal services have been offered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Metal waste can go directly to the metal recycling facility on the Robin Hood Bay site.

As for bulky wastes, recyclables, household hazardous wastes and yard waste,the city is asking residents to keep storing them at home until those facilities are available May 25.

Normal operations are expected to resume at that date, although if there are any exceptions required the city will notify residents.

If you're not feeling well, the city reminds you to stay home and reminds people to maintain six feet or two metres of safe distance from others on site.

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