PETALING JAYA: The human resources ministry has released a guide to improving ventilation and indoor air quality to reduce the airborne transmission of Covid-19.
Among the general measures recommended are increasing the ventilation rate, reducing the number of residents in a building, opening windows or doors, using removable air purifiers and increasing the inflow of fresh air from outside the building.
“Specific recommendations include using an air filter with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or 14 or a high efficiency particulate air (Hepa) filter, increasing air exchange and using a fan,” it said.
In a statement today, the ministry said the guide would help inform the public about ways to improve ventilation and indoor air quality in workplaces, health facilities, residences and public places to reduce the risk of airborne transmission of Covid-19.
It said the guide was approved by the National Security Council (MKN) last Thursday.
This comes after Dr Jemilah Mahmood, the prime minister’s adviser on public health, said last week the government would unveil a comprehensive guide on improving ventilation and indoor air quality in commercial and non-commercial buildings.
Jemilah had said the guide, which she had repeatedly called on MKN to produce, would be crucial in strengthening the country’s efforts to contain Covid-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released its own guidelines on indoor ventilation to reduce Covid-19 transmission in March before formally recognising in April that the virus was airborne.