All air handlers capable of accommodating MERV-13 filters have been upgraded in DePaul buildings on both the Lincoln Park and Loop campuses.
Additionally, the percentage of outside air drawn into buildings has been increased, and the start and stop times for all building fans has been extended to ensure that any particles not trapped in filter media are diluted with fresh air to the extent possible.
Any classroom or office areas in older buildings at the Lincoln Park Campus (portions of O’Connell Hall, Steans Center, select Racine Avenue offices), which do not have forced-air HVAC systems, have been supplied with standalone HEPA air purification machines. Instructions for proper use of the machines have been posted above each machine.
To proactively address the fact that groups of people will be congregating in the dining halls, and temporarily removing their masks while consuming food and beverages, the following measures have been implemented:
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The centralized building fan system at the Lincoln Park Campus Student Center has been equipped with hospital-grade UVC disinfecting light technology meaning that all air circulated in the building is both filtered and disinfected.
- Due to size constraints of the fan system, the Loop Campus dining hall was not able to accommodate UVC light technology. Instead, multiple, large-scale, standalone HEPA air purification machines were placed throughout the dining areas of the DePaul Center 11th floor.