Wake County Public Health to Add Additional Locations for N95 Mask Distribution

To help meet the ongoing needs of the community, Wake County Public Health is expanding locations offering free N95 masks to include the Western Health and Human Services Center in Cary and Wake County Human Services Center (Departure Drive) in Raleigh. In addition to these two new sites, our two sites that ran out last week – Public Health Center (Sunnybrook Road) and the Southern Regional Center in Fuquay-Varina – now have a new supply for the public.

The Wake County Health and Human Services building on Swinburne/Kidd Road will no longer be a distribution site.

Wake County Public Health will distribute masks at the following locations Monday through Friday while supplies last:

Residents will need to enter the building and pick them up at the information desks at each location. Masks will also be distributed at testing sites and vaccination clinics for those who have an appointment for those services.

The masks being supplied by the state are N95s and have five layers of protective material. These masks provide more protection than cloth and surgical masks. There is a limit of one mask per household member.

County staff are also working to ensure community partners have masks available to them. More than 40,000 masks will be distributed to these organizations this week which include 35 different churches and religious organization throughout Wake County.

Mask Guidance
When choosing a mask, it’s important to check that it fits snugly over your nose, mouth and chin. Ways to check that your mask fits correctly include:

  • Testing for gaps by cupping your hands around the outside edges of the mask and checking for air flow out the gaps.
  • Press down on both sides of the nose bridge wire to secure any gaps there.
  • If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air come through the front of the mask and may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath.
     

Do NOT wear masks when:

  • It is hard to breathe while wearing them;
  • They are wet or dirty;
  • Wearing other masks or respirators; and
  • As a replacement for NIOSH-approved respiratory protection when required by your job.
     

Care and use of N95 Masks

The normal storage time limit on this type of masks is generally five years shelf life in a temperature stable, dry, with no exposure to direct sunlight.

N95s can be worn for five days in a row under usual everyday usage and can be stored in brown paper bags to allow for any moisture to evaporate.

They should be disposed of and changed as soon as possible if they become soiled, wet or known to have had a direct exposure to COVID-19.

Staying Updated
Visit Wake County’s multilingual COVID-19 webpage for the latest information on COVID-19. It features a set of frequently asked questions to educate residents, COVID-19 vaccine information, COVID-19 testing locations and the most current data on how the virus is impacting our county.

Also, look for important updates about COVID-19 on Wake County’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Department
COVID-19
Category
Press Release