The United States government will begin making 400 million non-surgical N95 masks from its strategic national inventory accessible to the public for free next week, a White House official said, as part of the Biden administration's efforts to contain the COVID-19 epidemic.
The masks would be distributed through a network of neighborhood pharmacies and health clinics, the official said.
The Biden administration intends to begin shipments this week and complete the program by early February, a White House official said.
Snug-fitting N95 face masks get their name from the fact that they filter at least 95% of particulate matter from the air.
According to the White House, the U.S. government is leveraging the "federal retail pharmacy program" it utilized to procure vaccines, as well as federally financed health facilities that serve minority communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infections and deaths.
CVS, which has almost 10,000 pharmacies around the United States, including within Target stores, and Walgreens, which operates more than 9,000 outlets, have announced plans to distribute free face coverings.
The action comes as U.S. President Joe Biden and his staff came under fire for failing to do enough to promote masking and increase testing as the Omicron variant spreads across the country and hospitalizations reach a new high.
The 400 million non-surgical N95 masks represent more than half of the 750 million in the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than tripled in size over the previous year as the White House seeks to shore up reserves.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States recently suggested that properly fitted respirators recognized by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - such as N95 masks - provide "the maximum level of protection" against the virus.
The N95 masks will be distributed to all eligible individuals without regard for their vulnerability to the disease, their wealth, or any other criterion.
Individuals would be limited to three masks to ensure widespread access in the program, a White House official said.
Dr. Tom Inglesby, the administration's COVID-19 testing coordinator, stated in an interview that they are aware that "these masks offer superior protection versus fabric masks."
The official stated that this is the greatest deployment of personal protection equipment in U.S. history, referring to the masks, which retail for about $1 to $2 online.
While hospitals have recovered from the desperate N95 shortages during the early 2020 pandemic, numerous executives told Reuters that healthcare supply networks remain weak.
