the report also provided technical guidance.
better ventilation alone won’t prevent the transmission of the virus, the report noted, but it’s one of the key layers that work together to make schools healthier and to reduce the risk of infection.
caitlin clark, a spokesperson for lecce, did not respond directly to questions on whether the province would implement the recommendations in the report, whether standards on ventilation would be included in the school reopening plan and whether the government had identified how many schools now met ashrae standards.
clark said the government took the issue of air ventilation seriously and listed things that had already been done.
that includes $100 million provided for schools to make immediate improvements to ventilation systems and to buy air filters and $450 million awarded through the canada infrastructure program for 2,052 ventilation-related projects at 1,670 schools and childcares located in the same buildings. many of those projects are being done this summer, including some at ottawa school boards.
ventilation or air quality improvements have been made at all schools, clark said.
that could include installing higher-quality filters, recalibrating hvac systems to increase the amount of outside air flow and repairing or replacing hvac equipment. clark said 55,000 portable air filtration units had been purchased, with 25,000 of them at schools in ottawa and the greater toronto area. (there are 4,844 schools in ontario.)