What about the air? Edmonton schools, advocates racing to improve filtration

With students set to return to classes next week, Edmonton school officials are promising better air filtration to reduce COVID-19 outbreaks, but HEPA filters were not guaranteed.

Alberta reached another all-time high for recorded new infections Wednesday and the education minister announced that kids would be back in classrooms on Monday.

Edmonton Public Schools promised to increase filter changes, maximize fresh air intake and install the highest quality filters possible for each system in all of its 213 schools.

MERV-13 filters will be used in existing systems and in-room MERV-13 or HEPA filters will be used in schools where that's not possible.

Those measures were above and beyond what Alberta requires, a spokesperson said.

"All schools in our division meet or exceed the requirements outlined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). These standards are provided by the provincial government," said Megan Normandeau with EPSB.

The school board was also trying to buy additional ventilation units, but Normandeau didn't provide a timeline for that.

Edmonton Catholic Schools also promised better filters in their systems, but HEPA filters were not part of that plan.

"The Alberta Government has neither recommended nor endorsed the use of HEPA filters in conjunction with HVAC systems. We continue to review HVAC industry air quality recommendations and studies as they become available," the division website read.

Experts warn that poor ventilation can help spread COVID-19, leading some to advocate for HEPA filters and CO2 monitors in all classrooms.

"It's really an initiative to make sure as many kids as possible are protected and we’re trying to find any way to do that," said Amanda Hu with Fresh Air Schools Alberta.

Hu and others have been pushing the government to improve ventilation standards and provide money for upgrades.

She believes homemade filters, like the ones she built for her house, can help. Similar units have been placed in one St. Albert school.

"They cost about 80 dollars. They clean about 600 to 800 square feet. It's a fantastic alternative. We’ve done the testing and they perform very, very well," she said.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said Wednesday that her government has provided schools with more funding, and she felt a return to school is safe.

"We allocated $250 million in accelerated capital maintenance and renewal funding for school boards to access. Many of that funding was used by school boards to upgrade HVAC and improve their systems," LaGrange explained.

"Standalone HEPA filter systems that can be placed in a classroom, unless the overall system is looked at by experts, sometimes that can be more of a hindrance than an improvement."

The government listed updates for parents and students on its website.