Restaurants globally have been probing for a solution on how to make the dining experience for their patrons safe and comfortable. Silver Diner, for example, has taken to a known effective technology to keep its interiors sterilized at all times.
The local chain claimed that they are the first restaurant in the U.S. to have installed an air purification system that has ultraviolet light and HEPA filtration, as per a press release.
The system’s installation was confirmed on Wednesday, August 12, 2020.
“In my opinion, adaptation is necessary in this ever-changing world,” Hengst said. “Restaurateurs were tasked to create a new norm for everyone.”
Hengst also said that both their restaurants in Tysons and Reston have observed a considerable jump in the number of customers who felt secured about dining in.
Each purifying system, depending on the size, can cover anywhere from 250 feet up to 1,000 cubic feet.
“Germicidal ultraviolet lights are installed to sterilize the surfaces within their reach. Durable handheld UVC light devices are being utilized to sterilized common areas before they close at the end of the day,” also stated in the press release. At the end of each day, once the diner closes, the interior is then sanitized by the germicidal ultraviolet lights to eradicate airborne pathogens and to disinfect the surfaces as well.
“The ultraviolet system installed on the ceiling runs for an hour every night,” Hengst said. He also claims that the device gets rid of at least 99.9% of the germs left after the closing staff runs through each surface with a handheld UV gadget.
Ultraviolet light had been known to be an effective disinfectant for a long time. Just recently, however, experts confirmed that with the right duration, dosage, and distance to its target, it is capable of killing the coronavirus.
But as of writing, there hasn’t been a clear answer from CDC whether UVC can be used as a cure for COVID-19.
