N95 Masks In Franklin: Health Department, Retail To Distribute
FRANKLIN, WI — The Franklin Health Department has made N95 masks available for residents at its office during regular business hours. More masks are also on their way to multiple Franklin area retail chains.
The Health Department announced via Facebook on Wednesday they have bags of five N95 masks available while supplies last. Their office is located at 9229 West Loomis Road. The office's listed hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
The federal government is also working with different retailers in each state across the nation to further distribute N95 masks. In Wisconsin, partners such as Costco, CVS, Kroger, Meijer, Walgreens and Walmart will be distributing masks.
Each store has its own schedule for when masks will be available. For instance, both Kroger and Walgreens expect to offer the masks starting Friday, while other retailers caution they may take longer to ship stock to stores. CVS and Walmart anticipate masks arriving in stores in early to mid-February.
More details about the federal government's partners to distribute masks in Wisconsin can be found online at the CDC's website.
The Federal Impetus
President Joe Biden and his team announced last week they would provide 400 million free N95 masks to Americans. The masks all come from the Strategic National Stockpile and will be distributed by retail pharmacies and local health centers.
The nationwide N95 mask distribution is part of a wider COVID-19 response plan that included last week's rollout of a website where Americans can sign up to receive free coronavirus rapid tests, the Associated Press reported.
The CDC updated its face covering guidance Jan. 14, clearly stating that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection against COVID-19, but it stopped short of recommending them over cloth masks.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week the best mask "is the one that you will wear and the one you keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings."
Patch's Alexis Tarrazi's reporting was used in this article. Patch Editor Chris Mosby contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on the Franklin Patch
