MIAMI (WSVN) - Code enforcement officials hit the streets of Miami-Dade County as they stepped up their battle against the Zika virus, hours after health officials announced five new non-travel-related cases and a second area of concern in Miami Beach, Friday.
7News cameras captured Miami-Dade County Code Compliance ensuring that an abandoned property with a pool can no longer become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. “It’s not right for the citizens and the neighbors,” said Neighborhood Compliance Officer Williams Funez. “A lot of people are scared.”
Compliance officers like Funez have been busy notifying mosquito control officials and bringing contractors in to secure open and unsafe homes with a lot of overgrowth.
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Complaints filed by concerned neighbors, mostly through the 311 Call Center, have risen in recent months. Dirty pool cases have doubled from March through August, from 86 in 2015 to 245 in 2016.
Because abandoned properties can become illegal dumping grounds, crews are tasked with picking up a lot of the trash, including tires that can quickly become breeding grounds.
Junk and trash cases between March and August are also up from last year, from 2,579 in 2015 to 3,133 in 2016.
Consequently, the county is working overtime to tackle the growing demand centered around increase in the local mosquito population. “We’re doing our best to actually ensure everyone is safe,” said Funez. “Rain and the heat is just not a good combination.”
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