Free N95 masks from Biden administration arriving in Kentucky. Here's where to get them
Free N95 masks are arriving in Kentucky this week with the Biden administration planning to ship 400 million of the masks nationwide to help people protect themselves against COVID-19.
Meijer, a grocery and pharmacy chain based in Michigan, announced Monday it has received 3 million masks from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has begun providing them to customers.
Meijer
The masks are being sent to all 240 Meijer stores in six states including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Masks will be available at the entrance to its store from a greeter, the retail chain said in a news release on its website.
Supplies at all locations are limited to three per person.
Pharmacies - CVS and Walgreens
Meanwhile, other pharmacy chains including CVS and Walgreens are getting ready to distribute free masks through their stores in Kentucky, company officials said.
A Walgreens spokesperson said the company plans to have masks available Friday, and participating stores will post signs announcing availability.
CVS said masks will be available at its stores in coming weeks as they arrive from the federal government.
And other community pharmacies throughout the state should have them available by the end of the month, Ben Mudd, executive director of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association, said in an email.
For now, the masks are to be distributed only through pharmacies, Mudd said.
The Biden administration has said it will distribute the masks nationwide through retail pharmacies and other locations in communities, but further details of distribution have not yet been provided.
N95 and KN95 masks are considered to be the most effective against the highly contagious COVID-19 virus.
But public health experts say the vaccine and a booster shot offer the best protection to individuals. Free vaccines are available at most pharmacies and many local clinics and vaccination sites.
Help finding a vaccine site in Kentucky is available at vaccine.ky.gov.
This story may be updated.
Reach Deborah Yetter at dyetter@courier-journal.com. Find her on Twitter at @d_yetter. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Where to get free N95 masks near me in Kentucky?
