The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors plan to consider a recommendation Tuesday to buy ventilators to remove airborne coronavirus particles from the air inside local buildings owned by non-profit groups, small businesses and the county itself.

Installing a strong ventilation and filtration system can help prevent the transmission of Covid-19 particles, county health officials said.

They recommended installing MERV-13 air filters in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems because the devices remove at least 85% of particles that pass through HVAC systems. The devices cost an estimated $2,000 to $2,500 each.

County staff also recommended using $10 million provided by the federal American Rescue Plan Act to purchase the filters. Signed by President Biden in March, the bill allocated funding to every county in the United States for Covid-19 relief.

The Board of Supervisors meeting starts at 9:30am Tuesday and residents can attend on Zoom.