COVID-19 Forces Airports, Airlines and the Cruise Industry in Puerto Rico to Heighten Infection Control Initiatives

Last year, an estimated 3.7 million visitors came to Puerto Rico. Most of these people arrive on the islands via commercial airlines and cruise ships. The travel and tourism industries are a major source of revenue for the commonwealth, and has been for decades.
 
Air and sea travel are also essential for residents of the islands to be able to travel for business, visit family and to take leisure trips. The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus temporarily shut down the cruise industry earlier this year and also caused a dramatic reduction in the number of people traveling to and from Puerto Rico.
 
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many travelers and workers from the transportation and tourism industries have had indoor environmental quality (IEQ) concerns and worried about the spread of airborne and surface germs when people are crowded into cruise ships, airplanes and even at airports. Of particular concern is person-to-person spread of infectious diseases through respiratory droplets in the air or from touching contaminated surfaces or objects, as these are two of the primary ways germs are spread in an airplane, cruise ship or any indoor environment.
 
“For those traveling by plane, in addition to concerns over infectious pathogens that could be in the air or on surfaces, could encounter other cabin air quality concerns,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports airline employees and passengers could encounter ventilation hazards involving carbon monoxide, ozone and carbon dioxide levels; air contamination events when cabin air becomes contaminated with breakdown products from heated engine oil or hydraulic fluid; and other exposure risks.”
 
As the travel and tourism industries gradually recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, infection control initiatives and indoor environmental quality are key components for successfully reenergizing these industries so important to Puerto Rico’s economy. The industrial hygiene, infection control and IEQ professionals at Zimmetry Environmental are supporting these efforts with site inspections, IEQ testing and consulting services, third-party verification of cleaning and disinfection protocols, and more. These services help to ensure a healthy and productive indoor environment for travelers and workers in planes, airports, cruise ships, hotels and other types of buildings. 
 
Zimmetry also recently sponsored an educational video about IEQ and preventing the spread of germs on airplanes that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/tnSY74Tyca8
 
To learn more about IEQ assessments, infection control, environmental pathogens, indoor air quality (IAQ) and other industrial hygiene services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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