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Washington residents can soon pick up free N95 masks

Jan 28, 2022, 7:55 AM

N95 masks...

Nurse Jason Doff carefully removes his N95 mask after emerging from a room in the acute care COVID-19 unit at the Harborview Medical Center on Jan. 21, 2022, in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

(Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

Washington state residents won’t have to wait too much longer to pick up free N95 masks.

‘Well-fitting, high-quality’ mask recommended as omicron spreads in Washington

The Washington State Department of Health said Thursday that local pharmacies should start getting shipments of N95 masks in the coming days.

Costco, CVS, and Fred Meyer are some of the local pharmacies that are expected to get shipments of the masks. Check with the location nearest you to find out when their shipment will arrive. Expect that there could be a limited number available, and a limit of masks per person.

The Biden administration had previously announced its plans to distribute 400 million N95 masks across the United States for free. The masks come from the government’s strategic national stockpile, which has more than 750 million of these highly protective masks.

Find tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here for how to use an N95 respirator.

If you haven’t already, you can also order four free COVID-19 rapid antigen tests for your household through the federal government online here. Washington state is offering at-home tests that ship directly to households online here. The state’s supply may be limited to start, but will be restocked.

Additionally, at-home tests can be purchased at some local retailers and pharmacies. If you have health insurance, most insurers will now cover or pay you back for up to eight at-home tests per month.

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