PUBS could start to reopen as soon as July - but with boozing only in beer gardens and pints brought by table service.

Ministers are in talks with pub bosses to work out how they can get our locals back in business.

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The key is finding ways to allow drinkers to socially distance from each other and staff.

July 4 has been mooted as a possible start date.

Pubs with outside spaces are set to open first provided they can offer table service. Contactless payment is thought to be a must and some may use new apps to order and pay.

It is easier to space drinkers out in a beer garden and scientists say the virus spreads less outside, compared to within enclosed spaces.

That means it will be a while before small, cosy pubs re-open their doors to customers.

But big pubs where there is enough room inside to keep people apart could be next to get the nod again with table service to avoid a build-up at bars.

Perspex screens, like those seen in supermarkets, could be used to shield diners from other tables and walkways.

Eventually, when ordering at a bar is allowed perhaps in the autumn screens might also be put up on the counters.

Environment Secretary George Eustice told the Commons: "We are already working with the hospitality and pub sector to identify what social distancing measures they might be able to put in place.

As the Prime Minister has outlined, we intend that the hospitality sector, including pubs, would be able to tentatively start gradually opening, hopefully during July subject to the epidemiology supporting such a move.

He was referring to phase three of the lockdown easing plan, which includes pubs. The talks come as welcome news for lockdown Brits keen to catch up with friends and family over a pint away from home.

Mr Eustice added: "Of course we also recognise that until things return to something closer to normal and they can open normally, hopefully later this summer, then it will not give them all of the trade they previously had."

There were fears that pubs might not reopen until Christmas because of the difficulties with social distancing.

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Pub bosses on Monday called for the two-metre (6ft) rule to be halved.They said most pubs are too small for it to be imposed.

In some cases it would allow so few customers it might not be economical to open.

Simon Emeny, the chief executive of brewer Fullers, said the World Health Organisation advises one metre (3.2ft) which would allow four times as many customers. He said: I think its really important that rules are relaxed by the time pubs reopen.

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, said it would be profoundly challenging to keep people two metres apart and that could force most pubs to stay shut.

The British Beer and Pub Associations chief executive Emma McClarkin warned that a long-term shutdown would have a devastating impact on an industry already in decline.But she said: Re-opening in July will be great for those pubs who can meet the social-distancing measures required by then.

We stand ready to work with the Government to help pubs re-open in a safe and financially viable way as soon as possible.

Actioning advice from the WHO for example to use one metre for social distancing from July would enable many more pubs to viably re-open and serve their communities again.

Brewers and pubs have already had to dispose of the equivalent of 70million pints of beer that had gone stale.

Opening pub gardens gives them some hope and would allow the two-metre rule to stay for now.

Another option is limiting pub-goers to a set number of drinks. This would help to stagger visitors and stop pubs getting jammed making it easier to apply social distancing.The idea was suggested by an expert who is part of a team advising the Government on lockdown.Eyal Winter, an economist at Lancaster University, said beer could be rationed to two or three pints per customer.That method is likely to be preferred to giving drinkers a set amount of time, say an hour or two. There are fears a time limit could encourage binge boozing.Pub bosses reckon both suggestions would be hard to enforce.

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ON TRACKPM plans to ease lockdown in 10 days using track & trace to reopen schools & shops

In mid-May Boris Johnsonlaid out the "first careful steps" of easing the coronavirus lockdown as part of a three-phase plan to get back to normal life.

In an address to the nation he revealeda detailed roadmapof how to get Britain back on its feet, but still keep thedeadly virus under control.

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CORONAVIRUS CRISIS - STAY IN THE KNOW

Don't miss the latest news and figures - and essential advice for you and your family.

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Pubs could open from July but with boozing only allowed in beer gardens and pints brought by table service - The Sun

Follow the latest coronavirus news in Ireland and across the world on the Independent.ie live blog.

22:30 18/05/2020

Caitlin Doherty, PA

A vaccine could train the immune system to fight coronavirus, according to US scientists.

Neutralising antibodies have been found in the first eight people who took part in safety trials for the experimental mRNA-1273 vaccine.

The drug, being tested by firm Moderna, injects a small sample of Covid-19s genetic code into patients.

The amount is enough to encourage a response from the immune system and the trials are expected to be rolled out more widely in the summer.

Tal Zaks, chief medical officer at Moderna, said: These interim Phase 1 data, while early, demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits an immune response of the magnitude caused by natural infection starting with a dose as low as 25 micrograms.

He added: These data substantiate our belief that mRNA-1273 has the potential to prevent Covid-19 disease and advance our ability to select a dose for pivotal trials.

21:20 18/05/2020

David Young, PA

Irelands chief medical officer has insisted he would not be going to the Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 if he did not think it would be safe.

Dr Tony Holohan also confirmed that a scheduled meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team has been cancelled due to Tuesdays committee hearing.

His comments came amid concerns over the format of the lengthy hearings.

Dr Holohan, Department of Health secretary general Jim Breslin and HSE chief executive Paul Reid will face questions over two two-hour sessions, separated by a 15-minute break.

Tony Holohan said it was important that public health guidance was complied with during the hearings.

Former HSE director general Tony OBrien is among those who have voiced concern.

Under public health guidance people attending indoor meetings for more than two hours are considered close contacts.

20:40 18/05/2020

ITS early on the first morning Hermitage Golf Club has been open for almost eight weeks and signs are everywhere that things are a little different now.

For a start, signs are literally everywhere.

At the entrance. The car park. The pro shop. The first tee. The clubhouse. The practice area. The toilets.

Some draw attention to walkways that guide you from car to tee-box, all newly erected under physical distancing guidelines. Others offer reminders of expanded, coronavirus-related, on-course etiquette.

17:42 18/05/20

The Department of Health has been notified of four further deaths linked to Covid-19 and 88 additional confirmed cases.

There is now a total of 24,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

Chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan said two of of the deaths reported today occurred over the course of the weekend, while the other two are in relation to deaths that occurred during the month of April.

Mr Holohan said: said; On the first day of Ireland moving into Phase One of reopening we have experienced the lowest number of deaths since March 27th.

"We have suppressed the virus and limited its impact on public health. We need to sustain this in the weeks and phases ahead.

Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said; Every death is one too many, but the collective effort to date has saved many lives. We must save more by practising physical distancing, especially in queues and public spaces, respiratory etiquette and hand washing.

16:00 18/05/2020

Four thousand fewer people are in receipt of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week compared to the same time last week.

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection said 201.8 million euro worth of payments were issued to 585,000 people on Monday, down from 589,000 last week.

Last week, the numbers receiving the payment fell for the first time since the payment was launched on March 16.

The sectors so far with the most workers in receipt of the emergency payment are accommodation and food service (124,500), wholesale and retail (87,600) and construction (76,600).

15:00 18/05/2020

Cormac McQuinn

Brexit talks will be in "real difficulty" until the British government changes its approach, Tnaiste Simon Coveney has warned.

Mr Coveney said the latest round of Brexit negotiations have not gone well and there's still a risk of the transition period expiring at the end of the year without a trade deal.

He said this scenario is "the last thing we need on top of the economic pressures on the back of Covid-19".

The Foreign Affairs Minister was speaking as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government insists the Brexit transition period will end on December 31 with or without a trade deal.

14:50 18/05/2020

Amid fears of the seasonal flu add to problems with ICU and hospital capacities along with Covid-19 this winter, the flu vaccine will offered for free to those most at risk.

Minister for Health Simon Harris announced today his intention to extend the influenza vaccine to children without charge.

Mr Harris confirmed all of those in the HSE-defined at-risk groups, aged from 6 months to 69 years inclusive will also be available to access the vaccine without charge. People over the age of 70 already have free access to the vaccine.

The vaccination will also be available to all children between the ages of two and 12 inclusive.

Mr Harris said that work is underway to plan and give effect to this policy as soon as possible, amid fears that the flu could present a "significant challenge" to the healthcare system

14:30 18/05/2020

China's levels of some air pollutants have risen back to above last year's levels after dropping when the government imposed strict lockdown measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study published on Monday.

The rebound was likely due to industrial activity, the researchers said, adding there were concerns that after months of unusually low pollution levels, a drive to kickstart economic activity was causing emissions to spike.

"There are early warning signs that China's recovery from the COVID-19 crisis is reversing air quality gains," the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which produced the study, said.

Average levels of some air pollutants in China dropped in February to significantly below levels for the same period in 2019, as lockdown measures shuttered factories, curbed electricity demand and slashed transport use as swathes of the population stayed home.

But average levels of some pollutants have since rebounded, and were higher in the 30 days ended 8 May compared with the same period in 2019, CREA said in its analysis of data from 1,500 air quality monitoring stations in China.

14:00 18/05/2020

Close

Vital tool: Scanners are seen as essential to let people back to work. Photo: REUTERS/Vincent West

REUTERS

Ralph Riegel

Common drugs used for pain relief could scupper the temperature checks businesses are hoping will help combat the coronavirus.

Tens of thousands of employees are expected to return to work in the coming days, mainly in the retail sector.

Some firms are implementing temperature checks for staff while others are considering doing so when they reopen. But it is feared paracetamol and ibuprofen hides a high temperature, one of major red flags for the virus.

There has been concern at a number of the Covid-19 clusters at factories despite temperature screening from an early stage.

13:40 18/05/2020

The English Premier League could show more matches on free-to-air TV platforms once it resumes, including during the normally protected 3pm slot on a Saturday, minister Oliver Dowden said on Monday.

Dowden, head of the department for digital, culture, media and sport, said making the games available on free platforms could help to prevent fans from turning up outside the stadium for games that are being shown behind closed doors.

"It is likely to (resume) mid June at the earliest," he told BBC TV. "It would be a good thing to do if we can and I'm also looking as we do it at increasing the number of matches that could be free to air so people wouldn't be tempted to leave their homes to watch it.

"There is a rule at the moment that at 3 pm you can't show matches on TV because people were watching it in the football stadiums, clearly that is not going to be the case anymore, so some of those slots may be available for free-to-air."

13:20 18/05/2020

Bairbre Power

Recommended but not compulsory, face masks take on a new importance in our lives from today.

The inevitable next step will be the integration of protective masks into our day-to-day dressing attire, and this weekend saw the launch of a new look 'twin set' featuring a protective mask and matching dress with embroidered embellishment on the sides.

Couturier Niall Tyrrell came up with the 'twin set' name after responding to client requests for masks matching dresses he had already made for them.

Traditionally a 'twin set' is a short cardigan worn over a matching jumper and the chic, classic look was made popular by Coco Chanel.

13:00 18/05/2020

Ellie Donnelly

Ryanair expects to record a loss of 200m for the first three months covering April, May and June due to the impact of the coronavirus.

A smaller loss is expected for the months of July, August, and September, the airline said in its annual results statement.

The company said it cannot provide a guidance on its profit before tax for this year due to the uncertainty surrounding the economic affect of the global pandemic, "coupled with no visibility on what customer behaviour and demand will be following a return to service."

Ryanair currently expects to carry less than 80 million passengers in its financial year 2021, which runs from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

This is almost 50pc below its original target of 154 million people.

12:40 18/05/2020

Coronavirus testing is to be offered to all care home residents and staff in Northern Ireland, Stormonts health minister has announced.

There had been mounting calls for Robin Swann to provide universal testing in homes amid concerns about the number of deaths of residents.

Almost half (45pc) of Covid-19 related deaths in the region have occurred in care homes, latest figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) have shown.

Around 25pc of all care home residents in Northern Ireland have already been tested, with resources having been focused in homes where outbreaks have happened.

12:20 18/05/2020

David Chance

Businesses will need more support from Government to reopen safely as the economy takes tentative steps towards easing the lockdowns that have shuttered most companies since March.

The call from DublinTown, the lobby group which represents 2,500 businesses, came as garden centres and other venues are due to reopen today in the first stage of a phased plan that will take us to the autumn and as data showed small businesses have shunned a State-backed scheme.

"Supports in terms of grants, reduction to interest only loans, and liquidity measures would be required within the business chain, so that additional pressure is not placed on our social welfare," said Richard Guiney, who heads the business grouping.

12:00 18/05/2020

Michel Scannil

Optometrists reopening from today have urged people to attend, to help alleviate long waiting lists.

As part of phase one of the Government's roadmap for reopening society and business, opticians and optometrists are allowed to reopen today, along with outlets providing hearing test services or selling hearing aids.

The Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI) has urged people with eye-care needs to attend as soon as they can, to help take pressure away from other areas of the healthcare system.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, eye-care already had one of the longest waiting lists.

The AOI is meeting with the Health Minister Simon Harris today to discuss the measures being taken and also what optometrists can do to help alleviate the further increased eye-care waiting lists and demand.

11:40 18/05/2020

A Catholic priest in a US city is using a water pistol in a bid to maintain social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Photos posted on social media by St Ambrose Church in Detroit show Father Tim Pelc shooting holy water into a car window as it stopped by the steps of the church on Easter.

Read the original post:
Coronavirus Ireland Live Updates: Four further deaths confirmed as lowest daily figure recorded since March - Independent.ie

Cleaning air ducts can improve air quality, experts say

Keeping coronavirus out of your home might be as easy as cleaning the air in your house and servicing air ducts. However, experts warn there is still a risk the virus can be present.

OCALA, Fla. - Experts are weighingin on whether air duct cleaning can prevent coronavirus.

Its unfortunate that it takes a pandemic for everybody to get to the awareness level, the consumer level up to where it shouldve been anyway, Steve Mores, with Dynamic Air Quality Solutions, said.

Mores works in the clean air business. So does Jerry Cook, who owns Cooks Air Conditioning and Heating Specialists in Ocala.

Weve had people concerned about air quality, duct cleaning, and asking about the UVC and air cleaners like that, Cook said.

Cook shared photographs with FOX 35 News showing what a dirty system looks like.

A clean air conditioning unit, meaning the equipmentand clean ductwork, help you breathe cleaner air in your home, Cook said.

He said cleaning your air ducts and using preventative products, such as UV lights, does not guarantee coronavirus won't get into your home, but it will make the air inside cleaner.

Air quality products work very well on keeping those things from coming back in and then also the UVC can kill the germs, flu virus, and bacteria, along with SARS, Cook said.

He saidall customers should do their research before calling a company to do work.

By having air quality products installed in the home, the UVC, the UVV, the duct cleaning, we can help curb some of these viruses, and we can also help improve some of that air quality in the home, Cook said.

Link:
Experts weigh in on the benefits of air duct cleaning - FOX 35 Orlando

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Global Air Duct Cleaning Chemicals Market with Covid-19 Effect Analysis | likewise Industry is Booming Globaly with Key Players Water Treatment...

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This is the third in a series of five articles that help you find ways to reduce your carbon footprint by looking at the main carbon culprits in the average Americans lifestyle.

If owning a big house in the suburbs is part of the American dream, a lot of people are living the dream. The average American single-family home built in 2018 was 2,551 square feet. Second, only to Australia, the U.S. has the largest houses in the world you could fit 11.2 Chinese homes in the average American house. Thats got to be a good thing, right?

But it comes with a high environmental price tag, increasing transportation emissions through long commutes and encouraging the accumulation of lots of stuff. And it takes a lot of energy to heat and cool big homes. Home heating and cooling comprises 17 percent of Americans carbon footprint.

Because carbon dioxide emissions are a leading cause of climate change, measuring the amount of carbon dioxide released by a particular activity is a useful shorthand for environmental impact. This measurement is called a carbon footprint.

There are many ways to calculate your familys carbon footprint. On average, each American generates 18.55 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This is 3.5 times the global average of 5.3 tons. And for most Americans, home heating and cooling is the third-largest source of those emissions.

Your familys heating and cooling footprint could be much different from the average. A household in Idaho may not even have air conditioning. But they might run the heater up to 10 months of the year. Two such houses may have very different emissions depending on their heat source. A home in Arizona may spend hundreds of dollars per month on air conditioning most of the year.

Unless your only form of climate control is opening or shutting the windows, you can improve your heating and cooling footprint.

A good place to start is by looking at your habits. Do you set your air conditioner to a lower temperature in summer than you set your heater in winter? Do you turn on the heater on the first chilly day or wait until it is actually too cold? Try dressing for the season and setting your thermostat as close to the outside temperature as is comfortable. Setting the thermostat back 7-10 degrees Fahrenheitwhile you are at work can reduce your heating or cooling load by up to 10 percent. Installing a smart thermostat can help you save energy, too.

Tap into energy-efficiency programs through your local utility. Keeping on top of home maintenance tasks like duct cleaning, servicing your furnace and air conditioner, and sealing windows will improve home efficiency. Even your choice of window treatments can make a difference in both cold weather and to combat the heat island effect.

Sealing air leaks will make your home perform better, saving 15 to 25 percent of the heat furnaces generate in winter and blocking the same amount of unwanted heat gain in summer. For most homes, insulating floors, walls, and ceilings can cut this leakage by about a third. Doors and windows are popular upgrades and at a combined one-fifth of leakage are not irrelevant. But ducts and fireplaces are still bigger culprits.

When upgrading your older furnace, choose a highly efficient model and consider the source of your electricity when you decide between gas or electric. If you live in a warm climate, fans use a fraction of the energy of an air conditioner. They also do not require chemical coolants, which are greenhouse gases. If you really need air conditioning, consider whether you can get by with a window unit, which uses a third as much energy as central air conditioning. Whatever air conditioner you end up buying, choose the most efficient model.

To really slash your home emissions, cut your square footage: Convert your house to a duplex or move into an efficient multifamily building or tiny home.

Whatever your square footage, if youre building a home, use passive design and other green building strategies like earth-sheltered construction to achieve net-zero energy use. And if you choose to move to a milder climate to avoid the need for heating and air conditioning entirely, just make sure you plan a low-waste move and recycle those moving boxes.

Original post:
Good, Better, Best: Cutting Carbon From Home Heating and Cooling - Earth911.com

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS EXTENDEDTHE* FLOOD ADVISORY FOR...EAST CENTRAL MCDOWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...WEST CENTRAL BURKE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...* UNTIL 1215 PM EDT SUNDAY.* AT 1159 AM EDT, LAKE JAMES REMAINED ABOVE FULL POOL AT 101.25FEET. THE WATER LEVEL WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY FALL, BUT REMAINABOVE FULL POOL THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THEREFORE, A FLOODADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR NUISANCE FLOODING AND WILL REMAININ EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING OR UNTIL THE FLOODWAVE HASPASSED.* ACTION/ADVISORY STAGE: 101.00 FEETMINOR FLOOD STAGE: 102.00 FEETFORECAST: DUKE ENERGY PROJECTS THE POOL TO CONTINUE TO FALL SLOWLYTHROUGH TONIGHT. EXPECT LAKE JAMES TO REMAIN ABOVE FULL POOLTHROUGH AT LEAST TONIGHT.IMPACTS: BETWEEN 101 AND 102 FEET...NUISANCE FLOODING OF LOW-LYINGAREAS ADJACENT TO THE SHORELINE INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL YARDS,CAMPGROUNDS, DOCKS, AND BOAT-LAUNCH AREAS IS ONGOING. LAKEWATERSMAY BE FLOODING MOOSE LODGE CAMPGROUND, MOOSE LODGE CAMPGROUND RD,AND HOUSEBOAT LANE.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...BOATERS, FISHERMEN, KAYAKERS, AND OTHER LAKE USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TOEXERCISE CAUTION DURING ELEVATED LAKE LEVELS AND DOWNSTREAMRELEASES. AVOID AREAS ALONG THE STREAM BELOW DAMS RELEASING WATER.CAMPERS AND OTHER RESIDENTS ALONG THE LAKESHORE MUST BE PREPARED TORETREAT TO HIGHER GROUND IF LAKE LEVELS CONTINUE TO RISE.STAY WEATHER AWARE AND MONITOR LAKE LEVELS CLOSELY.&&

Read more here:
Watch Now: Keeping safe from COVID-19 at the pool this summer, and more virus stories - McDowell News

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS EXTENDEDTHE* FLOOD ADVISORY FOR...SOUTH CENTRAL CALDWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...EAST CENTRAL BURKE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...* UNTIL NOON EDT SUNDAY.* AT 1152 AM EDT, LAKE RHODHISS REMAINED ABOVE FULL POOL AT 101.2FEET. THE WATER LEVEL WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY FALL, BUT REMAINABOVE FULL POOL THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THEREFORE, A FLOODADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR NUISANCE FLOODING AND WILL REMAININ EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING OR UNTIL THE FLOODWAVE HAS PASSED.* ACTION/ADVISORY STAGE: 102.00 FEET.MINOR FLOOD STAGE: 104.00 FEET.FORECAST: DUKE ENERGY PROJECTS THE POOL TO GRADUALLY DECLINETHROUGH TONIGHT.IMPACTS: AT 103.0 FEET...ACTION/ADVISORY STAGE. NUISANCE FLOODINGOF LOW-LYING AREAS INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL YARDS, DOCKS, AND BOAT-LAUNCH AREAS IS ONGOING. WATER MAY APPROACH STRUCTURES OFF OFCATAWBA AVE BELOW THE DAM AND OTHER AREAS UPSTREAM OF THE DAM.* FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LAKE LEVELS, PROJECTIONS, OR DAM RELEASES,PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO VISIT http://LAKES.DUKE-ENERGY.COM ORCALL 1-800-829-5253.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...BOATERS, FISHERMEN, KAYAKERS, AND OTHER LAKE USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TOEXERCISE CAUTION DURING ELEVATED LAKE LEVELS AND DOWNSTREAMRELEASES. AVOID AREAS ALONG THE STREAM BELOW DAMS RELEASING WATER.CAMPERS AND OTHER RESIDENTS ALONG THE LAKESHORE MUST BE PREPARED TORETREAT TO HIGHER GROUND IF LAKE LEVELS CONTINUE TO RISE.STAY WEATHER AWARE, MONITOR LAKE LEVELS CLOSELY, AND HEED GUIDANCEFROM LOCAL OFFICIALS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.&&

Visit link:
A colorful corner of the city - Morganton News Herald

What happens when it gets really hot and the AC is blasting on full?

In much of the United States, the malls and restaurants are reopening to the public. Some of those states get really hot in the summertime. Sarah Goodyear, a writer and host on The War On Cars, posted an interesting tweet:

Recent research indicates that large droplets from sneezing can travel much further than 2 meters, even if there are no air movements. Small particles (

They have been studying the problem in Canada too. Professor Brian Fleck told the National Post that "this has been on peoples radar for quite a while. Somebody on a different floor sneezes The particle can stay airborne long enough to go all the way through the system and then pop out in somebody elses office."

There are various ways that the risk can be lessened, including use of filters that catch a greater number of those particles, and drawing more fresh air into a system... But each of those changes carries a cost. Adding more fresh air can require additional heat or air conditioning. Heavier filters means more energy is needed to push the air through them.

But it doesn't get as hot in Canada as it does in Arizona. Engineer and Professor Ted Kesik told TreeHugger that "we shall be greatly challenged retrofitting our existing buildings to eliminate dilution ventilation systems." This is especially a challenge in the heat of a southern summer, where the difference between inside and outside air can be 40F in Arizona or Texas. In the Southeast, there is also a lot of humidity with the heat. That's why the air is recirculated; the amount of energy needed to condition a mall's worth of outside air would be ridiculously high.

ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, had a look at the issue of the coronavirus and issued a statement in late April:

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through the air is sufficiently likely that airborne exposure to the virus should be controlled. Changes to building operations, including the operation of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems, can reduce airborne exposures.

They issued technical guidelines in a position document on infectious aerosols:

Infectious aerosols can be disseminated through buildings by pathways that include air distribution systems and interzone airflows. Various strategies have been found to be effective at controlling transmission, including optimized airflow patterns, directional airflow, zone pressurization, dilution ventilation, in-room air-cleaning systems, general exhaust ventilation, personalized ventilation, local exhaust ventilation at the source, central system filtration, UVGI, and controlling indoor temperature and relative humidity. Design engineers can make an essential contribution to reducing infectious aerosol transmission through the application of these strategies.

That's fine, the engineers know what to do with new buildings. But what about existing ones? Here, they make some recommendations, and I try to add an explanation in italics.

All of these modifications are expensive, either in equipment or operating costs. All of these building owners and tenants have been bleeding money in the last few months. All of the companies making this equipment are going through the crisis, too. In short, it is probably safe to say it's not gonna happen, at least in the short term.

I have tried to get comments from engineers and experts, but the only one I have received so far is, "Yikes, I think that is a problem." I will add more comments as I receive them.

But I do believe that Sarah Goodyear has raised an interesting point. In my limited experience in Arizona in summer (two weeks in Scottsdale in July), I rarely saw anyone outside. And it's not even summer yet, but as one shopper in Arizona told NBC News after the mall opened, "We hit all the museums and this place because its hot."

See the original post here:
Coronavirus and the air conditioned nightmare - Treehugger

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT So ... what does it takes to re-open a international business in Connecticut that has already been trying to keep its work force of about 500 employed? South Windsor-based TicketNetwork Chief Executive Officer Donald Vaccaro was not shy about sharing the details Friday.

On Tuesday, Vaccaro said, TicketNetwork will begin the reopening process, and the number of employees returning to the South Windsor headquarters will continue to expand "as is prudent."

"TicketNetwork has taken the appropriate steps to control the access to the building to make sure that everyone who enters the building is safe," Vaccaro said.

The building is "ready," Vaccaro said, and here are the highlights of the changes:

(TicketNetwork/Sean Burns)

(TicketNetwork/Sean Burns)

Said Vaccaro, "TicketNetwork is preparing to reopen for its valued staff, most of whom have been working from home since late March, doing their part to help flatten the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of its reopening plan, company management and its facilities team reviewed a variety of best practices and developed a multi-tiered approach to bringing workers back in the safest fashion possible."

The rest is here:
TicketNetwork Outlines What It Takes To Reopen Larger Office - South Windsor, CT Patch

Fueled by existing civil unrest, heated protests involving clashes with the policeand at least one high-profile arresthave erupted in the Albanian capital of Tirana after officials proceeded with the planned demolition of the National Theatre of Albania (Teatri Kombtar). The in-disrepair but culturally revered landmark was completed in 1939 during the Italian occupation. The ongoing protests, which initially involved a few thousand people according to the Associated Press, were held near the Interior Ministry, and in defiance of the countrys lockdown orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

Added to European conservation group Europa Nostras 7 Most Endangered list this past March, the buildings fate has been murky since 2018 when authorities announced in 2018 that the historic theater would be razed and replaced with a new, roughly $33 million theater and cultural complex designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Despite ongoing efforts from a large faction of artists, activists, intellectuals, conservationists, governmental opposition leaders and supporters, and others to preserve and restore the building, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, a former mayor of Tirana, ordered the demolition to proceed so that work on the BIG project could commence. A definite start date, however, has not been established due to funding conflicts.

Per Reuters, demolition work at the site started on May 17 after authorities began dragging away two dozen actors and activists protecting the site, drawing a large crowd chanting shame and dictatorship. As of earlier this week, the protests have reportedly yielded 37 arrests. One police officer was hospitalized following a skirmish with activists, who claim that authorities have been employing unjustified violence and verbal abuse to control the crowds. As reported by Reuters, authorities have disputed any claims of aggressive action on the part of the police.

A rendering of BIGs bow-tie-shaped cultural center to replace the just-razed National Theatre of Albania. (Courtesy BIG)

This is no longer about the theatres demolition but the downfall of democracy and freedom. We are in a dictatorship, Reuters reported one member of the Alliance to Protect the Theatre, the organization leading the charge against the demolition, as saying in a Facebook video.

Now that the theater has been demolished, protestors are calling for current mayor Erion Veliaj to resign and for the Albanian people to start a civil disobedience campaign until Ramas center-left government is overthrown, according to the Associated Press. The opposition party, the center-right Democratic Party, has referred to the demolition as a macabre crime and flagrant violation of the constitution and the law.

More:
Protests erupt over historic theater demolition and BIG's replacement in Albanian capital - The Architect's Newspaper