I work in heath care and not all of us are provided with N95 masks. The company I work for doesn’t even provide testing for us. They sent out a link to the USPS website for testing. Health care is a joke. Do not recommend.
I got my three free masks today at a local pharmacy. I got my 4 free Covid tests earlier in the week. So far these programs are working as intended for me.
The employee in my local Walgreens said that none of the stores in the entire state of Maine were “authorized” to distribute the masks. I have no idea what she meant. The website lists a handful in Maine that were supposed to be in the first shipment. Though I have no idea if they actually got them.
What a ridiculous mess.
Why is this so complicated? I really don’t understand how, in modern society, we can just automatically ship things to where they need to go. We’re such a mess, we humans!
As someone who not too long ago quit pharmacy because of the stress please do not overwelm the pharmacies. These people are at their breaking points, if they say they don’t have them, don’t press. I understand it’s to help the public, but allow it to help those who really need the N95s and not just because it’s free.
The reality is N95 masks are very effective at blocking incoming particles and outgoing, however these are supposed to be fitted on individuals. Things like beards on men will prevent a seal from occurring. Not sure how effective it is when the masks aren’t sealed correctly.
I went into a Walgreens yesterday to ask about the free masks, and to see if they had any of the at home tests (that the government covers via medicare or whatever). The woman at the cash register initially ignored me, as she was puttering around doing who knows what behind the counter, and when she finally turned around to help me, I noticed that her own very, very lose, one-ply mask was barely covering her mouth, and no where near her nose. Then, when I asked her about the government masks, she looked at me like I was an alien and said she had no idea what I was talking about. And then stopped talking to me, as if I should just go away and let her get back to her puttering.
I know that they’ve been having a really hard time hiring staff, but this woman was impressively bad, and really did not want to be there. I continued, though, and said that she might want to ask someone who does know, because there will probably be many others coming in to ask her about the masks.
If only we did more automated stuff where you could just request something online and have it delivered, or available at a pick-up location. Then we wouldn’t need to have employees who hate their jobs and do terrible work.
Sorry. That wasn’t really on topic all that much. It was just something that this post reminded me of that was clearly still bothering me. I wish I could get the masks somewhere else, or some other way, besides going to that Walgreens.
thanks for this but I’m gonna pass on the masks. I have a lot of high-quality masks and haven’t got COVID so clearly, they’re working. I’m guessing most people will try to stockpile them anyways if it’s based on the honor system.
Shopifare01 
While supplies last.
I’m not going to get any am i
Why isn’t the USPS mailing these out with requested free test kits???
This was helpful. Unfortunately I see the same people who stockpiled toilet paper stock piling these too
This article specifies what stores already have then and when other stores are expecting them.
Plus there is a link to what participating locations are in each state.
Hope this is helpful to someone.
Apparently in-store availability from:
Date | Store
—-|—–
01/25 | Meijer
01/25 | Walgreens, CVS, Kroger
Edited: From comment.
This was good to know, ty
I work in heath care and not all of us are provided with N95 masks. The company I work for doesn’t even provide testing for us. They sent out a link to the USPS website for testing. Health care is a joke. Do not recommend.
400 million is not enough
3 per person is not enough
And no checks in place to make sure someone isn’t just going around to all of their local pharmacies and stores to keep grabbing their “3 free”
Two years late lol. Oh thank you great government. I’ll enjoy my $5.00 free masks.
What’s to stop someone from going from store to store to store and collecting them?
Aren’t the masks only good for one-time use?
I got my three free masks today at a local pharmacy. I got my 4 free Covid tests earlier in the week. So far these programs are working as intended for me.
Friday January 28, 2022 at my local Walgreens, the answer to the free masks was no! We don’t have free masks here!
The employee in my local Walgreens said that none of the stores in the entire state of Maine were “authorized” to distribute the masks. I have no idea what she meant. The website lists a handful in Maine that were supposed to be in the first shipment. Though I have no idea if they actually got them.
What a ridiculous mess.
Why is this so complicated? I really don’t understand how, in modern society, we can just automatically ship things to where they need to go. We’re such a mess, we humans!
It’s funny all these pictures show kn95 masks not n95.
Like walk in and grab some?
theyre unwrapped. it literally defeats the purpose
I still can’t find them in my area 😢
As someone who not too long ago quit pharmacy because of the stress please do not overwelm the pharmacies. These people are at their breaking points, if they say they don’t have them, don’t press. I understand it’s to help the public, but allow it to help those who really need the N95s and not just because it’s free.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
The reality is N95 masks are very effective at blocking incoming particles and outgoing, however these are supposed to be fitted on individuals. Things like beards on men will prevent a seal from occurring. Not sure how effective it is when the masks aren’t sealed correctly.
I went into a Walgreens yesterday to ask about the free masks, and to see if they had any of the at home tests (that the government covers via medicare or whatever). The woman at the cash register initially ignored me, as she was puttering around doing who knows what behind the counter, and when she finally turned around to help me, I noticed that her own very, very lose, one-ply mask was barely covering her mouth, and no where near her nose. Then, when I asked her about the government masks, she looked at me like I was an alien and said she had no idea what I was talking about. And then stopped talking to me, as if I should just go away and let her get back to her puttering.
I know that they’ve been having a really hard time hiring staff, but this woman was impressively bad, and really did not want to be there. I continued, though, and said that she might want to ask someone who does know, because there will probably be many others coming in to ask her about the masks.
If only we did more automated stuff where you could just request something online and have it delivered, or available at a pick-up location. Then we wouldn’t need to have employees who hate their jobs and do terrible work.
Sorry. That wasn’t really on topic all that much. It was just something that this post reminded me of that was clearly still bothering me. I wish I could get the masks somewhere else, or some other way, besides going to that Walgreens.
Some if not many places on the East Coast are getting their masks today.
Source: Retail store manager expecting these on the truck today
N95 masks are wildly available these days at places like HomeDepot, maybe we should save these for people that can’t afford to pay for them?
[removed]
thanks for this but I’m gonna pass on the masks. I have a lot of high-quality masks and haven’t got COVID so clearly, they’re working. I’m guessing most people will try to stockpile them anyways if it’s based on the honor system.
Need them in Ireland