Want a free N95 mask? White House plans to distribute them. Here’s what to know
Free N95 face masks could soon be available to people in the United States, according to reports.
President Joe Biden’s administration plans to ship 400 million N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile at the end of the week, White House officials told multiple news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN, on Wednesday, Jan. 19
The plan comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said approved N95 masks offer the highest level of protection against COVID-19. Health experts have also urged people to upgrade to N95 or KN95 masks as the omicron coronavirus variant — which evades COVID-19 vaccines and transmits more easily — rapidly spreads.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, praised the administration’s plan on Twitter.
“Not all masks are created equal,” he tweeted. “N95s are far more effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19. I applaud the Biden Administration for making 400 million N95 masks available for free around the country. It is a good first step, and more must be done.”
The plan also comes after Biden said on Jan. 13 that his administration would soon announce “how we are making high-quality masks available to the American people for free.” Here’s what to know about the plan.
How you’ll be able to get the masks
The masks will be shipped to pharmacies and community health centers across the country, where they’ll be available for people to pick up for free, news outlets reported.
Unlike a government program distributing free at-home rapid COVID-19 tests, it does not seem that the administration plans to ship the masks directly to Americans.
When will the masks be available
White House officials told media outlets the masks will be available in pharmacies and health centers starting late in the week of Sunday, Jan. 23.
But the program won’t be fully running until early February.
How many masks will be available
Three masks will be available per person to ensure widespread access, The Washington Post and ABC News report.
A White House official told the Post that “we anticipate making additional, high-quality masks for children available in the near future.”
About masks and omicron
The CDC advises wearing “the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently.”
But health experts have said cloth masks alone don’t offer enough protection against omicron.
“Cloth masks are little more than facial decorations,” Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, said on CNN in December. “There’s no place for them in light of omicron.”
Experts largely seem to agree than N95 or KN95 masks, both of which offer 95% filtration, are the best option, followed by surgical masks and lastly by cloth masks. Those who do not yet have access to an N95 or KN95 can also double-mask, with a cloth mask over a surgical mask, to increase their protection.
Real N95s are certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S., and KN95s are manufactured and approved in China but tend to be more widely available to the general public in the U.S.
While both are designed for a single use, some experts have said they can be reused, with certain limitations.
This story was originally published January 19, 2022 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Want a free N95 mask? White House plans to distribute them. Here’s what to know."
