How to get 3 free N95 masks from the federal government

after providing Four free COVID-19 tests For all American families, the U.S. government recently announced that 400 million N95 masks will be distributed free to the public.

CDC says masks provided maximum protection The highly contagious variant of Omicron will be shipped to pharmacies and community health centers and will be available in the coming days and weeks.

How do I get my mask?

The masks will be available at community health centers and pharmacies across the country.These will be involved Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, which helps provide the public with a COVID-19 vaccine. This includes CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Costco, Albertsons, and more.

View the full list of participating pharmacies.

You will need to pick up the mask in person, so be sure to call ahead. The N95s will likely start arriving in late January, but most should be available at tens of thousands of participating locations no later than early February. Each adult in your household can use three masks, According to a White House official.

What else do I need to know?

• The upcoming N95 masks won’t be child-sized. but, according to politicsthe government is working to eventually distribute masks to children. Watch this helpful video from Aaron Collinsa mechanical engineer with a background in aerosol science, to help you find the right mask for your child.
• Your N95 will last about 40 hours, Anne Miller of Project 95, tell NPR. She also recommends using the “brown bag decontamination method.” If you’re using a mask all day, put it in the brown bag for five days to let any virus particles die. Using this method, you can rotate three new N95s for a total of 15 days.
• Beware of fakes. If you can’t get an N95 mask directly from the government, be vigilant when looking for your own.Check CDC finds fake N95 guidelines. Your most trusted source will be a larger company such as crossbow, or a big box store like Home Depot or Lowe’s, Miller said. If you’re buying face masks on Amazon, choose a well-known brand like Kimberly-Clark or 3M.

Robert Bruce is a senior writer for The Penny Hoarder.