$6.8 million earmarked for air filters to prevent COVID-19 spread in Manitoba classrooms

Manitoba's government says it will spend $6.8 million to install standalone air-filtrationunits in thousands of Manitoba classrooms to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Education Minister Cliff Cullen said schools in regions at higher risk of community transmission will be prioritized for the devices, which he estimated will cost $1,000 each.

In addition to public health considerations, Cullen said applications from facilitieswill be reviewed by qualified professionals based on mechanical need.

"The jury is still out on the effectiveness of it," he said. "That's why we're asking professionals to come in and do the assessments on that."

Cullen said filters purchased though the fund will be treated as operating expenses, rather than capital construction projects. He noted the province has budgeted $21 million for capital ventilation projects that are already underway or scheduled.

NDP education critic Nello Altomare said parents have been calling for better ventilation in schools for months.

"They're coming to it late. We're 20 months into a pandemic," he said.

"Surely this could have been done earlier, and I can tell you with certainty that every school division knows which school requires upgrades."

Altomare says any school built before 1980 needs ventilation improvements.

The government says the money could supply six thousand classrooms with a portable air-filtration unit.