ARLINGTON, VA. - Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines that said the COVID-19 virus can be spread through the air, Lidl plans to install new air filtration systems in all of its stores by the end of 2020.  

The filtration systems will be rated MERV 13 or higher, which is comparable to systems typically found in hospitals, which can help filter out COVID-19 virus particles. 

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have worked diligently to protect the health of everyone in our stores by meeting or exceeding CDC guidelines and this measure to create cleaner, healthier air is no different," said Johannes Fieber, chief executive officer of Lidl US. "Customers and team members in Lidl stores can breathe easier knowing we have an added layer of protection against COVID-19." 

According to the company, Lidl is the first grocery retailer to install hospital-grade air filtration systems across its network of stores in response to COVID-19.