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Riverside County residents will soon be able to obtain up to three free N95 masks for themselves as part of the Biden administration’s effort 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 percent of aerosols, and are considered the best protection against the COVID-19 virus — be reserved for healthcare professionals.

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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.”

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“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.

CVS told the health website Prevention that it will share additional details as they become available.

“Through our continued participation in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, we’ll be offering access to free N95 masks at CVS Pharmacy locations in the coming weeks as we receive supply from the federal government,” a CVS spokesperson told Prevention. “Our work to distribute high-quality masks as part of this program is an extension of our commitment to providing equitable access to the tools necessary to combat COVID-19, including testing, vaccines, and authorized therapies.”

Masks may also be distributed at local community centers and health centers, the Associated Press reported.

Patch recommends contacting your local pharmacy or health care center early next week for new details about their mask supplies, and where you can find the nearest free N95 masks.

The nationwide N95 mask distribution is part of a wider COVID-19 response plan that included this week’s rollout of a website where Americans can sign up to receive free coronavirus rapid tests.

The release still leaves the United States with a reserve of 350,000 of the highly protective N95 masks, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said offer better protection against the coronavirus’s omicron variant than cloth face coverings. N95 and KN95 masks are more widely available now than they were early in the pandemic, but costlier than the less-protective surgical or cloth masks.

The CDC updated its face-covering guidance Friday, 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.”

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Riverside University Health System

In response to the rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases, Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser ordered that no gatherings of any number of people may take place outside of family members residing in the same home. Dr. Kaiser also ordered everyone to wear a face covering when leaving home, including essential workers. Face coverings can be bandanas, scarves, neck gaiters or other clothing that does not have visible holes.

Residents should not purchase N95 or surgical masks, as these limited resources are needed for the healthcare community and first responders. “While more and more Riverside County residents are getting COVID-19, not everybody’s getting the message,” said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer. “It started with staying home, social distance and covering your face.

But now we change from saying that you should to saying that you must.” The purpose of this order is to encourage compliance with these important measures that have been implemented to flatten the curve. Pursuant to this order, law enforcement agencies throughout the county have the authority to enforce these orders as they deem necessary. This order runs through April 30. “We have already lost two of our deputies to this virus.

I am asking all of you to honor them by staying at home,” said Sheriff Chad Bianco. The no gathering order does not apply to essential businesses, including healthcare offices, grocery stores or gas stations. However, these businesses must use social distancing measures to keep clients and customers six feet apart and all employees must now wear face coverings. All churches, temples, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship are prohibited from all in-person gatherings, this includes drive-in religious services.

“Palm Sunday, Passover and Easter are sacred days. The best way to practice our love for God is loving our fellow neighbor. That means staying home and observing the holidays at home,” said Board Chair V. Manuel Perez, Fourth District Supervisor. “I also want to thank Sheriff Bianco and all our law enforcement partners for their dedicated service during this pandemic and for enforcing these orders to keep our residents and essential workers safe.”

These orders are made in conjunction with the governor’s stay at home order issued on March 19, as well as Dr. Kaiser’s latest school closure order issued on April 1, latest short-term rental order issued on April 2 and the golf course closure order issued on April 2. As of April 4, Riverside County has 665 confirmed cases, 18 deaths and 60 recoveries. Earlier this week, Kaiser recommended face coverings for anyone when they leave home. Residents should not call 9-1-1 to report groups of people who are not at an essential business. 9-1-1 must remain open for emergencies only.

-Riverside County

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