Tier 3 London Club to Test COVID Air Management System

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14 December 2020

As the capital moves to Tier 3 lockdown restrictions, the 100 Club in Central London has been approved as a test site for a new COVID-secure HVAC system.

The Pathogen Reduction System (PRS), created by a British firm, is commencing on a series of pioneering venue trials. The first of which will be at the world-famous music venue, the 100 Club. The Music Venue Trust is also supporting this test.

The team behind the PRS claims that their patent-pending technology is an important step forward in the long-term fight against coronavirus. The system uses high-intensity UVC light to “inactivate 99.99% of dangerous airborne pathogens, which include COVID-19, MRSA, measles, TB and the common flu virus”.

It’s thought that such technology could act as a lifeline for the struggling entertainment, theatre and music venue sector and of course the wider hospitality sector.

"The 100 Club has always attempted to be a leader bringing new music to the forefront and this is an opportunity to be leading the way in getting Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs) and the entire hospitality industry open again after the dire consequences of COVID-19."

–Jeff Horton

Owner, 100 club

Struggling Hospitality and Entertainment Industry 

Arguably one of the hardest-hit sectors by the pandemic, most of the UK’s live music venues and theatres are closed, with 45 per cent of the workforce furloughed, Britain’s arts and entertainment industry is in desperate need of a solution that can help return seat numbers to normal as soon as possible and make their future viable. 

The PRs system is to be trialled in London’s iconic 100 Club in January 2021. The aim is to prove that the integration of this new system into a buildings air conditioning, creates an indoor environment that is COVID secure, allowing audience numbers to return to a pre-pandemic normal for Britain’s 1,100 theatre and thousands of live music venues.

Getting Grassroots Music Venues Open Again

Jeff Horton, owner of the 100 club, one of London’s most iconic live venues that has played host to the likes of Glen Miller, Louis Armstrong, the Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse, commented:

“We agreed to trial the PRS technology without hesitation and are very excited to be the pilot venue. The 100 Club has always attempted to be a leader bringing new music to the forefront and this is an opportunity to be leading the way in getting Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs) and the entire hospitality industry open again after the dire consequences of COVID-19. 

“We also see this as an opportunity to future proof the venue should the world be brought to its knees again at some point down the road by another pandemic.”

PRS’s Founding Chairman Ian Sinclair added: “We are extremely excited to be bringing this technology to market and believe this is an important step forward in the long-term fight against COVID-19 and other harmful pathogens. There has been talk of the scientific cavalry – we believe our technology can strengthen this cavalry greatly not just now – but for the future.

Picture: a photograph of a drummer playing onstage

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 14 December 2020

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