We All Get Free N95 Masks With a Catch
Some governments in other parts of the world have been providing free tests and masks for some time now. Last week, the US joined the trend by pledging to send four rapid tests to every household (you just need to request them at covidtests.gov ). Now we get free N95 masks, but only three per adult.
The masks will not be delivered to people’s homes, but will be available at the same pharmacies and clinics that participate in the COVID vaccination program. So wherever you get your shot or booster, this is a good place to check for free masks when they become available.
When will it happen? White House officials have said mask shipments to these locations will begin at the end of next week, i.e. at the end of January. They promise three masks per adult, and masks for children will appear later. (NIOSH approved N95s are not available in children’s sizes .)
The masks come from the National Strategic Stockpile, which reportedly holds 750 million masks. Media reports say that 400 million masks will be distributed through this program. (By comparison, the number of free rapid tests should be 500 million, even though the government had only procured 420 million at the time of the announcement.)
Walgreens told a Chicago news station that the masks will be available “while supplies last,” leading me to imagine a bucket labeled “take one,” but the full details of the distribution plan have yet to be announced.
While three masks isn’t much, the good news is that any N95-style respirator (or even a surgical mask) is better than a cloth mask . And it’s also acceptable, if not ideal, to reuse N95s by storing them in paper bags and changing to a new one every day.