U.S. shopping malls will need to improve ventilation for coronavirus protection

New York shopping malls would not have opened without high-quality air conditioning systems.

Before they are allowed to open, the malls must first acquire high-quality air conditioning systems with HEPA filters capable of filtering out the coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo has said. The presence of such filters is reported to reduce the occurrence of COVID-19 in the air.

According to Cuomo, HEPA filters are designed to filter particles that are 0.01 microns and above. This data is based on a particular study conducted by NASA. And studies of coronavirus shows that they are about 0.125 microns in size. The governor said the government recommends that all businesses and offices “explore the possibilities of filtering their air conditioning systems.

Earlier, Cuomo allowed other businesses to open without installing high-quality filtration systems. Retail indoors, with the exception of shopping malls, as well as some office space, have already opened in various parts of the state, subject to lower capacity. The next phase is expected to begin on July 6th in New York City, allowing manicure and massage parlors, tattoo parlors, and other similar venues to open, again provided the number of visitors decreases. 

And although the governor is worried about constant violations (for example, people are not in a hurry to adhere to the rules of social distance and wear masks), he claims that the situation in New York as a whole is better than in other states. However, the government is still considering whether or not to open the halls to visitors in catering facilities. The decision will be announced shortly.