U.S. to Distribute 400 Million Free N95 Masks at CVS, Walgreens in COVID Fight

The U.S. government will make 400 million non-surgical “N95” masks from its strategic national stockpile available for free to the public starting next week, a White House official said, as the Biden administration tries to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

Snug-fitting N95 face masks, so-called because they filter at least 95% of particulate matter from the air, will be shipped to pharmacies and community health centers this week, the official said, and available for pickup late next week.

The U.S. government is leveraging the “federal retail pharmacy program,” it used for vaccines, the White House said, as well as federally funded health clinics that serve minority groups hit hard by COVID infections and deaths.

Retail chain CVS, which has nearly 10,000 U.S. pharmacy locations including within Target stores, and Walgreens, which has over 9,000 stores, plan to distribute free masks, company spokespeople said.

Multi-layered masks like the N95 that form a seal around the nose and mouth are considered especially effective at preventing virus spread. Last week the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that Americans wear the “the most protective mask” that they can.

The administration also made free rapid home tests available via a website that launched officially on January 19.

Excerpted from “U.S. to Distribute 400 Million Free N95 Masks at CVS, Walgreens in COVID Fight” by Reuters News Service. Read the full article online.

Source: Reuters | U.S. to Distribute 400 Million Free N95 Masks at CVS, Walgreens in COVID Fight, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-make-400-million-n95-masks-available-free-fight-covid-19-pandemic-official-2022-01-19 | © 2022 Reuters

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