Warren County, school districts partner to put air purifiers in schools
WARREN COUNTY, NY -- Warren County Health Services worked with five Warren County school districts in recent weeks to supply them with over 200 classroom air purifiers to help keep students in school this year.
In all, 208 FilterQueen air purifiers were purchased with federal grant funding through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) Program. They were offered to all school districts in Warren County, and five took advantage of the opportunity. (Glens Falls City School District had purchased and installed purifiers for the 2020-21 school year.)
The FilterQueen purifiers filter three times better than HEPA, eliminating and destroying the SARS-CoV-2 virus and filtering 99.99% of viruses, bacteria, allergens and more down to 0.1 micron. They cost $800 apiece.
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has contracted with county Health Departments and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to provide ELC Program support to public and non-public schools. County Health Departments and BOCES are responsible for assessing the need for assistance and resources related to designing and implementing COVID-19 screening, testing and applicable support services for schools in their service regions. Warren County Health Services coordinated the purchases.
Said Ginelle Jones, Warren County Director of Health Services: “Our school districts have been great partners throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have been glad to work with them to provide the equipment and supplies they need to keep their students and staff healthy and their buildings open. We thank them for their willingness to work with us toward a common goal of public health.”
Said Kyle Gannon, Queensbury School Superintendent: "We would like to thank Warren County for the partnership we have built and the funding we have received via the ELC Schools Grant. We have placed the air purifiers in our most highly trafficked areas, which include the nurse offices and guidance areas. They are working wonderfully and we are thankful for the contribution to the safety of our schools."
Said Mike Markwica, Johnsburg Central School Superintendent: “Our staff is very appreciative of the addition of the FilterQueen air purifiers within their classrooms and offices. We are in the middle of a project that will replace our Unit Ventilators, but are still working through the process with the State Education Department and are also facing possible supply issues. These air purifiers are a great addition as we work through this process.”
The following Warren County school districts received air purifiers:
|
Bolton Central |
48 |
|
Johnsburg Central |
80 |
|
North Warren Central |
22 |
|
St. Mary's/St.Alphonsus |
22 |
|
Queensbury UFSD |
36 |
(Photo attached of an air purifier at Queensbury Union Free School District)