Biden administration to give 400 million N95 masks for free

• The masks will be available by late next week at pharmacies and health centers

• To ensure broad access, three masks will be provided per person

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday to give 400 million N95 masks for free at pharmacies and community health centers amid Omicron spread.

The masks will be available by late next week at pharmacies and health centers. “This is the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history,” a White House official said. “Experts agree that masking is an important tool to control the spread of Covid-19.”

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Experts have advised using N95 masks instead of single-layer cloth masks as they may not be sufficient to protect against Omicron.

To ensure broad access, three masks will be provided per person.

On Tuesday, the Biden administration had begun taking orders for free at-home rapid tests. Biden also announced that insurers will cover the cost of over-the-counter Covid-19 tests.

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As the hospitalizations are increasing in the country, the administration is also planning to speed up availability of Covid-19 antivirals.

The federal government has also purchased 20 million treatment courses of Pfizer Inc’s (NYSE: PFE) Covid-19 antiviral pill Paxlovid.

Picture Credits: Reuters