The White House is taking another step toward addressing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, the White House announced that it would distribute 400 million free N95 masks to American citizens. According to a report from The Hill, the masks will be available at “tens of thousands of local pharmacies.” Masks will begin shipping later this month and the program will be “fully up and running” in early February.
The Biden administration’s decision to send 400 million free N95 masks to Americans will please a number of congressional lawmakers. Last week, 50 Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill in hopes of accomplishing the same feat.
“As we face the rapidly spreading omicron variant, we should remember that not all face masks are created equal,” Sanders told The Hill.
“Congress must demand the mass production and distribution of N95 masks, one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of the Covid virus. It is an absolute scandal that in the richest country in the history of the world, high-quality masks are not more readily available to frontline workers, health care workers, and all Americans.”
In addition, the Biden administration has made an effort to distribute free take-home COVID-19 tests to U.S. citizens.
