Ministry of Health and Environmental Health Department Address Increased Presence of Flies in Grand Turk and Providenciales

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Friday, 3 January 2025: The Ministry of Health and the Environmental Health Department are aware of concerns regarding the noticeable increase in the presence of flies, particularly on the islands of Grand Turk and Providenciales. This issue has been affecting both residents and visitors, and the Ministry is taking urgent steps to address the situation.

In response to these concerns, several mitigation measures have been implemented. Fly baiting and trapping have been intensified in high-traffic areas such as restaurants, markets, and other public spaces to target and reduce the fly population. Additionally, garbage collection services have been increased to eliminate the backlog of waste, which is contributing to the issue. The Environmental Health Department is working closely with contractors to ensure that waste is collected more frequently and in a timely manner.

To further mitigate the situation, the management of landfill operations is involved in the daily compaction and proper covering of incoming waste at the landfill to prevent flies from accessing decomposing materials. A meeting was held with all service contractors for Grand Turk and Providenciales to address the matter urgently, ensuring that all necessary steps are being taken to mitigate the fly issue effectively.

The Ministry of Health and the Environmental Health Department are committed to maintaining public health and ensuring a clean environment. We encourage the public to cooperate by properly disposing of waste and maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings.

We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue. For further information, please contact the Environmental Health Department at ehd@gov.tc or 338-2143/44.