HHS Mask Distribution to Schools Underway- Request Your Districts Now
As described on the blog earlier in September,
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be providing up to 125 million cloth masks to states for distribution to schools. The Administration intends
for these masks to support students, teachers, and staff in public and private
schools reopening, with an emphasis on students who are low-income or otherwise
with high needs and schools providing in-person instruction.
Today we learned that school districts can immediately begin
requesting masks from State Health Departments for adults. All states have
received shipments of white, reusable and washable masks for adults and
districts in need of additional masks can request them anytime. A few states
are already in receipt of reusable, washable masks for youth/children, but the
majority of these masks are still being manufactured and distributed. It is expected
that many more states will have youth size masks available in the next 2 weeks
and by early November all states will have both youth and adult size masks
available for distribution to schools.
More information on the masks is available here: https://www.phe.gov/facecovering/Pages/cloth-face-masks-in-school.aspx