How To Get Free N95 Masks In Highland Park-Mount Washington

LOS ANGELES, CA — Highland Park-Mount Washington residents will soon be able to obtain up to three free N95 masks for themselves, thanks to an effort from the Biden administration to distribute 400 million free N95 masks around the country.

White House officials told The New York Times Wednesday that they plan to ship N95 masks to pharmacies and health centers at the end of this week, and are aiming to make them available in pharmacies by the end of next week. Officials say they hope the program is in full swing by early February. Administration officials told The Times that this is the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history.

The White House plans to distribute up to three N95 masks per person, following updated CDC guidance that N95 masks can be worn by the general public. Previously, due to supply chain issues, the CDC recommended that N95 masks - which the CDC says filter out 95% of aerosols, and are considered the best protection against the COVID-19 virus - be reserved for healthcare professionals.

The 400 million N95 masks will be released from the Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million on hand. While a number of pharmacy chains have partnered with the Biden administration to distribute the masks, exact details are still emerging as of Wednesday morning.
Walgreens said that it is partnering with the administration to "make N95 masks in varying sizes available free of charge at select Walgreens locations nationwide while supplies last."

"We know masks are an effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19. We are currently finalizing the operational details of this program and will provide more information once available," a Walgreens spokesperson said in a statement.

This article originally appeared on the Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch