DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Innovative air disinfection technology from the Irish-headquartered Novaerus has been used at a major government-backed nightlife test event in Belgium.

Results from the event on Saturday, at which 350 volunteers partied throughout the night without masks or social distancing, could pave the way for the opening up of clubs and other hospitality venues across Europe.

Novaerus’s NanoStrike technology inactivates airborne micro-organisms on contact, providing the first line of protection against viruses and bacteria, including the virus that causes Covid-19. It is already widely used in hospitals, schools and office settings.

The ‘Dance Again’ event took place in La Madeleine in Brussels and was organised by the City of Brussels government, in association with the Brussels by Night Federation. All participants had to produce a negative Covid-19 test result before entry.

Novaerus’s Belgian distributor, Analis, provided four of its cutting-edge Defend 1050 devices for the event. A single Defend 1050 can change the air up to four times per hour in a room up to 92 square metres (990 square feet) in size.

The air quality was constantly monitored inside the venue by CO2 monitors throughout the night.

All Novaerus NanoStrike devices have been approved for use by the Belgian federal government under a recently passed Ministerial Decree on the safe use of air filtration devices.

Michael Polly, vice president of product management at Novaerus, said:

“Novaerus was very happy to cooperate with the City of Brussels on this very important test event by providing vital air disinfection equipment for use. The results from this will provide a framework for the reopening of the nightlife sector across all of Belgium. The protocol that will be developed following the event should serve as a good example to other countries across Europe of how nightlife and hospitality can be opened safely. It underlines the need for a consistent, evidenced-based approach to reopening across Europe.

“Public health authorities increasingly recognise the role of airborne transmission in fuelling the Covid-19 pandemic. Adopting measures that address air quality is key to helping us reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission and our NanoStrike technology is a tried and tested, cost-effective solution that can help our nightlife and hospitality sectors reopen in a safe and sustainable manner.”