Edmonton school divisions take steps to upgrade ventilation as students return
CBC
Edmonton's two largest school divisions are making moves to upgrade their ventilation systems in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
It comes as students are expected to return to in-person class on Monday and the highly-infectious Omicron variant brings Alberta's case counts to all-time highs.
On Dec. 1, the two Alberta chapters of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers released guidance recommending schools ensure ventilation systems use filters with minimum efficiency reporting values (MERV) of 13 or higher.
The typical home furnace has a MERV rating of around 10.
Edmonton Catholic schools are now in the process of installing MERV-13 systems.
"The advantage is to make our sites as safe as possible for every student and staff member in our buildings," Robert Martin, chief superintendent, said during a news conference Friday.
It's expected to take a few weeks, he said, as the filter systems are installed in the division's 96 schools and other buildings.
"We have gone above and beyond," Martin said.
The MERV-13 filter costs will come from school reserves, he said.
Edmonton Public Schools is looking at a number of options for its 212 schools, according to a letter from the superintendent. Experts were in schools for a preliminary assessment over the holiday break.
The division has also issued a request for vendor proposals for additional room air purifiers.
Alberta Education directs that ventilation be maintained but has not released guidance on upgrading those systems.
Asked Wednesday about improving air quality in schools, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange referenced $250 million in federal funding for COVID-19 costs distributed by the province in 2020 — around $44 million of which was spent on upgrades to systems impacting air quality, according to a spokesperson.
"School authorities have made this their top priority and they continue to work on further refinements if necessary," she said Wednesday.