** UPDATE – Orange County Health officials announced that all available N95 masks had already been claimed, less than two hours after the giveaway began.

A spokesperson for the department said they’d received 14,000 masks from North Carolina DHHS, in packs of 20; officials gave away one pack per household. Some of the masks were also distributed through other agencies.

At this time, county health officials say they don’t know if there will be another mask shipment from NCDHHS. **

When it comes to COVID-19 protection, not all face masks are alike. With the onset of COVID-19’s omicron variant, health experts have increasingly been urging us to forgo the cloth masks in favor of stronger protection like N95s.

Those masks can be costly – but federal, state, and local officials have been taking steps to provide free masks to residents who need them. Locally, that effort is about to take a big step forward.

Starting Monday, January 31, the Orange County Health Department will be giving out free N95 masks, while supplies last, at locations in Carrboro and Hillsborough.

In Carrboro, you can pick up masks at the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service at 110 W. Main Street, weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm.

In Hillsborough, you can pick up masks at the Orange County Public Library at 137 W. Margaret Lane, Monday to Thursday from 10 am to 7 pm and Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm.

Masks will be available while supplies last.

The masks have been provided by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. You can also request masks and other PPE from the state government online at this link.

Orange County’s mask distribution is part of a larger local, statewide, and national effort to give away N95 masks in the wake of the latest COVID surge. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced plans to distribute 400 million N95s nationwide – and last week, UNC student leaders distributed 10,000 N95 masks at an event on campus.

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