Free N95 masks are on the way in Fresno, but when will they arrive?

Fresno’s share of 400 million N95 masks, to protect against COVID-19, that President Joe Biden ordered for distribution to Americans are en route to the city and expected to be available sometime next week, according to major pharmacies, a main distribution point.

It is not yet clear whether their will be public distribution points under the direction of the city or Fresno County. Officials reached Wednesday were checking.

In mid-January the administration said it would make the N95s available to all Americans, with a limit of three masks per person.

The arrival of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 reemphasized the necessity of masks in public. Many schools, including Fresno State, are requiring N95s for everyone on campus.

Officials at the Fresno County Health Department Wednesday were not certain whether they would be involved in N95 distribution, although the Biden administration initially mentioned community health centers’ involvement in the program.

Monica Prinzing of CVS pharmacies said inventory is arriving at stores and will continue on “a rolling basis” at the company’s 9,800 stores.

The distribution will also take place inside CVS pharmacies inside Target.

Engerman Frazer, a director of external relations at Walgreens, said N-95s are at Walgreens’ warehouses, “and we are shipping them to participating stores as soon as possible.”

At WalMart, global communications senior manager Ashley Nolan said the more than 5,100 stores and Sam’s Clubs would also begin distribution the second week of February.