Wake County to distribute free N95 masks. Here’s how to get one.
Wake County is distributing free N95 masks at several locations as more people seek the heavy-duty respirators.
The free masks, provided by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will be given out Monday to Friday. Hours vary by site. The county added locations in Cary and Raleigh’s Departure Drive on Jan. 24 while eliminating the site on Kidd Road.
Here are distribution locations:
- Wake County Health & Human Services Center, 10 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh, 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
- Wake County Human Services Center (vaccine clinic location), 5809 Departure Drive, Raleigh, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Wake County Western Health & Human Services Center, 111 James Jackson Ave., Cary, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Wake County Southern Regional Center, 130 N. Judd Parkway NE, Fuquay-Varina, 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
- Wake County Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest, 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
- Wake County Eastern Regional Center, 1002 Dogwood Drive, Zebulon, 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
The masks will be available at the center’s information desks.
Residents will be supplied one mask per family member in a household as supplies allow.
They also will distributed to those who have appointments at testing sites and vaccination clinics.
NCDHHS provided 200,000 masks to the county, and many will be distributed to those in “high risk and underserved populations,” the county said in a release. Over 40,000 masks will be distributed to community partners, such as churches and religious organizations.
Meanwhile, 400 million free N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile are expected to be shipped out by the end of the week, McClatchy News reported. They’ll be available for free at pharmacies and community health centers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its mask guidance, saying cloth masks no longer are as effective at combating the spread of COVID-19, particularly the highly contagious omicron variant.
The N95 and KN95 masks offer the highest level of protection with their multiple layers and better fit.
Officials say the N95 masks “can be worn for five days in a row under usual everyday usage and can be stored in brown paper bags to allow for any moisture to evaporate.”
For more on these masks, including where you can order them and how to spot counterfeit masks, read The News & Observer’s guide.
This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 6:15 AM with the headline "Wake County to distribute free N95 masks. Here’s how to get one.."