Free N95 masks will soon be available in Florida. Where can get one?
Are you looking for a free N95 mask?
The federal government is sending masks across the country to community health centers and pharmacies.
One hundred community health centers are set to receive free N95 masks the week of Jan. 24, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The health agency expects this initial group will include seven centers in Florida with more than 100 sites. Two of the centers are in South Florida: Jessie Trice Community Health System in Miami-Dade and the Health Care District of Palm Beach County.
The agency expects that by mid-February, N95 masks will be available at all health centers and “Health Center Program look alikes” that opt to enroll in the federal mask distribution program.
Look-alike centers are health centers that don’t receive federal award funding and rely on other funds to operate such as Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and patient fees.
Once mask shipments arrive, each center will decide how to distribute the masks.
N95s are considered the highest level of protection against COVID-19, but you can’t wear them for long. N95 masks are single-use though the CDC says you can use them up to five times, if needed, according to Reuters.
So, which Florida pharmacies will have the masks in stock? And how can you find a community health center near you?
Here’s what to know so far:
Will N95 masks be free for everyone? How many can I get?
The N95 masks from the federal government will be free. At this moment, only adult-size masks will be available. Up to three masks will be available per person, pending availability, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.
But remember this giveaway applies only to the N95 masks the federal government is shipping from its Strategic National Stockpile as part of their strategy to combat the rapid spread of the contagious omicron variant. Retailers can still sell N95 masks — and they can be pricey. Packs of N95 masks on Amazon, for example, can range between $20 to $50, with some costing even more.
Florida pharmacies to get free N95 masks
Most pharmacies that are part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 vaccines are expected to distribute the free masks. In Florida, 11 retail pharmacies are enrolled in the federal vaccine program, including CVS Health, Walgreens, Publix, Southeastern Grocers (Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket), Walmart (including Sam’s Club), Costco, and Kroger Co.
What we know so far:
▪ All Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más and Harveys Supermarket pharmacies are expected to receive N95 mask shipments as early as Friday, Jan. 28, according to Jacksonville-based parent company Southeastern Grocers. All stores with pharmacies should have the masks in stock by Monday, Jan. 31. Up to three masks will be available per person on a first-come, first-served basis, pending availability. You’ll have to visit or call your local store to see if they have the free masks in stock.
▪ Some Walgreens stores in Florida received their mask shipments Friday, Jan. 28. Up to three masks per person will be available, while supplies last. Masks will be available in different sizes. More stores are expected to get masks in the coming days. To see which stores have masks, visit Walgreen’s online N95 mask locator. The retailer says the list will update as more stores get shipment.
▪ Publix said it’s still waiting to get delivery details to determine when masks will become available for distribution.
▪ CVS Health, which owns CVS stores along with Navarro Discount Pharmacies and CVS y mas shops, said mask shipments were arriving at select stores across the country, including CVS stores inside Target, but did not say if masks had arrived in Florida yet. Up to three masks per person will be available, pending availability. The retailer said Navarro Discount Pharmacies is part of its mask distribution but didn’t say if masks had arrived in Florida yet. You’ll have to visit or call your local store to see if they have any masks in stock.
▪ Walmart said it expects to have masks available by the second week of February at more than 5,100 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs across the country. Up to three masks per person, while supplies last.
Select community centers in Florida to get N95 masks
Here are the seven health centers in Florida that will be receiving free masks as part of the federal program’s initial rollout:
▪ Jessie Trice Community Health System in Miami-Dade County
▪ Health Care District of Palm Beach County
▪ MCR Health, Inc. in Palmetto, Manatee County
▪ Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida, Inc. in Fort Myers, Lee County
▪ Central Florida Health Care, Inc. in Winter Haven, Polk County
▪ Trenton Medical Center, Inc. in Trenton, Gilchrist County
▪ Escambia Community Clinics, Inc. in Pensacola, Escambia County
The federal government expects more health centers to enroll in the voluntary program in the coming weeks.
How to find a community health center near you
If you’re a patient at a community health center, it’s probably easier to ask them about their N95 mask distribution plans than to search for an alternate location. If you’re not a patient and need to find one, there are a few online tools you can use.
The Health Resources and Services Administration, also known as HRSA, has a health center online locator you can use to find a nearby federally funded center. Use your device’s GPS to find a site or search by city, ZIP code or address. You can also search by the center’s name. The nationwide locator includes health centers and look-alikes.
Search results will include the center’s name and operator, address, phone number, how many miles away it is from you, and a link to get directions. You can also download a PDF listing the first 25 centers that appear in your search results.
If you have questions about the countrywide locator, call the HRSA Contact Center at 877-464-4772 (TTY: 877-897-9910), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The Florida Association of Community Health Centers also has an online locator that lets you search for a health center by address, ZIP code, center name or by county. Search results will include the center’s name, address, phone number, hours of operation and list of offered services. The locator includes health centers and look-alikes.
Note that not every center listed in the federal and Florida-specific locators may be participating in the free N95 mask distribution.
This article will be updated.
This story was originally published January 21, 2022 at 12:13 PM.
