Following recently issued Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines stating that the Covid-19 virus can be spread through the air, Lidl US has announced that it will install new air filtration systems rated MERV 13 or higher in all of its retail food stores in the United States by the end of this year. Air filters rated MERV 13 or higher, which are typically found in hospitals, help filter out the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), according to public health and industry leaders.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have worked diligently to protect the health of everyone in our stores by meeting or exceeding CDC guidelines and this measure to create cleaner, healthier air is no different,” said Johannes Fieber, chief executive officer of Arlington, Virginia-based Lidl US. “Customers and team members can breathe easier knowing we have an added layer of protection against Covid-19.”
Lidl US is among the first national grocery retailers to install hospital-grade air filtration systems across its entire network. Previously, Lidl stores used advanced commercially rated MERV filtration systems. Epidemiologists and professional associations have recommended using high-efficiency air filters MERV 13 or higher wherever technically feasible to trap small airborne particles that can transmit the potentially deadly virus.
Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Germany, the Lidl chain operates approximately 11,200 discount grocery stores in 32 countries, employing more than 310,000 people.
