The government is helping businesses to pay for better ventilation at their premises.

The Coronavirus Business Adaptation Grant has been designed to support businesses who want to offer new products or services, or make adaptations to their facilities or services, as a result of the pandemic.

The government says that as the weather turns colder people will be spending more time indoors and it is important that areas have good ventilation to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and make customers and staff feel more secure.

Simple CO2 monitors can help identify areas that may benefit from improvements and the department’s Coronavirus Business Adaptation Grant is available to support these investments.

The support available for businesses under this scheme includes - but is not limited to -modifications to facilities, capital equipment, protective screens and improvements to ventilation systems to improve the air quality in the premises.

Nailz 2 Beauty, a nail salon based on Market Hill in Douglas, recently took advantage of the grant to improve the ventilation in its business, gaining support to have a new ventilation system fitted in its premises.

Amanda Clarke, owner of Nailz 2 Beauty, said: ’I started my business in 2020 and the premises I rent has no ventilation apart from the front door opening onto a busy road and a small window in the kitchen at the back.

’When coronavirus started I tried to put everything in place I could to protect my team and clients.

’As a business owner it’s been a very stressful time but I did feel I needed to do more. I watched the news and everything was coming back to ventilation in properties so I researched and got a few quotes and found out that the Department for Enterprise would help with the cost of this adaption to the business.

’I phoned the department and was guided to what I needed to do to apply, with help given along the way where I needed it.

’We now have the ventilation fitted and working, and it’s great!

’It really makes a difference to our working environment. We still ask clients to sanitise on entry and wear masks in the salon as a lot of our treatments are close contact, but my mind is at ease knowing I am doing everything I can.’

The Business Adaptation Grant has so far supported 65 businesses across a range of sectors including retailing, medical, hospitality, hair and beauty, leisure and service providers.

More than £664,000-worth of funding has been offered to businesses to support the costs of innovating or adapting their business model in order to maintain and grow revenues.

The Business Adaptation Grant is open to Isle of Man businesses operating in all sectors and offers financial assistance in the form of a grant of up to 50% towards the cost of the approved expenditure.

The Business Adaptation Grant is formed under the Coronavirus Recovery Scheme, which came into force on December 25, 2020. Support available under this scheme is available until December 31.

Potential applicants who are unsure of their eligibility are encouraged to contact the Department for Enterprise by email at [email protected] or by telephone on 687333.

â?¢Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

When someone with Covid-19 breathes, speaks, coughs or sneezes, they release particles (droplets and aerosols) containing the virus that causes Covid-19. While larger droplets fall quickly to the ground, smaller droplets and aerosols containing the virus can remain suspended in the air. If someone breathes in virus particles that are suspended in the air, they can become infected with Covid-19. This is known as airborne transmission.

In poorly ventilated rooms the amount of virus in the air can build up, increasing the risk of spreading the virus, especially if there are lots of infected people in the room.

The virus can also remain in the air after an infected person has left.

Bringing fresh air into a room and removing older stale air that contains virus particles reduces the chance of spreading Covid-19. The more fresh air that is brought inside, the quicker any airborne virus will be removed from the room.

Ventilation is most important if someone in your household has Covid-19 or if you are indoors with people you do not live with.

Good ventilation has also been linked to health benefits such as better sleep and fewer sick days off from work or school.

Ventilation does not prevent Covid-19 from spreading through close contact and is only one of the actions you should take to reduce the spread of the virus.