Biden Will Provide Free, High-Quality Masks to Americans
On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced plans to provide 400 million free high-quality N95 masks to Americans starting next week.
According to a White House official, the effort is the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history.
The masks will come from the Strategic National Stockpile, in which the U.S. has tripled the number of N95 masks since January 2021.
Individuals are limited to three masks per person, and the masks will be made available for free at tens of thousands of locations online and in stores nationwide such as pharmacies and community health centers.
The move by the administration is an attempt to move the needle on controlling the spread of COVID-19 due to the omicron variant, as cases continue to surge and the number of hospitalizations nationwide are reaching record highs.
In 2021, the administration distributed more than 30 million masks to food banks and communities that were hardest hit by COVID-19. So far, a total of 23.5 million masks and respirators have been provided to states across the country, including 1.5 million since the start of the new year.
Aside from masks, the administration launched a website where Americans can order free COVID-19 tests.
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