WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency issued guidelines Thursday designed “to assist building owners and operators with reducing risks from airborne viruses and other contaminants indoors.”

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Those airborne viruses include COVID-19. The guidelines, part of President Biden’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, would also apply to schools. Key actions in the “Clean Air in Buildings Challenge” include:

• Create a clean indoor air action plan
• Optimize fresh air ventilation
• Enhance air filtration and cleaning
• Conduct community engagement, communication and education

“Protecting our public health means improving our indoor air quality. Today, EPA is following through on President Biden’s plan to move our nation forward in a healthy, sustainable way as we fight COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, building managers and facility staff have been on the frontlines implementing approaches to protect and improve indoor air quality to reduce risks and keep their occupants safe and healthy, and we are so grateful for their efforts,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.

The White House released a fact sheet about the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, calling it a “key component of the President’s Plan that calls on all building owners and operators, schools, colleges and universities, and organizations of all kinds to adopt key strategies to improve indoor air quality in their buildings and reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

A Republican response to the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge was not yet available.

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