CCPHD to distribute N95s at Chatham Public Libraries while supplies last

PITTSBORO — In partnership with the Chatham County Public Libraries, the Chatham County Public Health department is now distributing N95 respirator masks to the public, according to a Thursday CCPHD email release.

On  Saturday, the health department will also hosted two drive-thru sites to distribute N95s from 10 a.m. to noon while supplies last, at Northwood High School and Silk Hope School. At Northwood, people should go to the right side of the school near the bus lot for masks; at the Silk Hope site, people should use the driveway in front of the school.

Here are the sites and hours of operation for Saturday:

“We are thrilled that we’ve been able to bring N95s to the Chatham community, and we’re so grateful for our partners at Chatham County Public Libraries and Chatham County Schools for serving as pick-up locations,” said Zachary Horner, Communications Specialist for the Chatham County Public Health Department. “We ask that those visiting the sites be patient and respectful of staff distributing masks. They’re working very hard to make sure Chatham residents have access to this important tool.”

The department received 120,000 N95 respirators from the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services and is working to distribute the masks at the libraries and some other community settings like churches and community organizations. Each household can receive one box of 20 masks.

"Due to limited supplies, if you have already received a box of N95s or have your own supply, please leave these masks for others who need them more," the CCPHD said Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said at previously that N95 masks should be reserved for health care workers because of supply shortages, but the new guidance includes the recommendation of N95s for everyone — emphasizing that the mask must fit well and be worn properly, over the mouth and nose.

N95 masks offer the most protection from spread of virus particles, the CDC said, like those that cause COVID-19, when worn consistently and properly.

N95s are one type of specialized filtering masks which typically provide a tighter fit to your face than cloth masks and are made with a special material designed to block 95% of harmful particles. The fibers that qualify N95s as such are pressed closer together than in cloth masks and contain an electrostatic charge that attracts molecules to stick to the mask — rather than passing through.

The masks should not be worn with other masks or respirators and should not be used for more than a few days, the county release said, and they should be discarded when they become wet or dirty, or no longer fit correctly.

"Any well-fitting mask continues to be better than no mask," Horner said in the release.

Horner previously told the News + Record CCPHD received 7,000 N95s in January,  distributing them to settings where need for the masks was deemed most urgent, "specifically high-priority locations like meat-processing plants, child care facilities and to other vulnerable populations."

“The most important thing is to wear a well-fitting mask consistently and correctly,” said Mike Zelek, the director of Chatham’s Public Health Department told the News + Record last month. “Throughout the pandemic, including during the recent Omicron surge, we have mostly seen COVID spread in settings with prolonged close contact where masks are not worn consistently, like gatherings and household contact.”

You can learn more about N95 respirators and other masks at www.chathamcountync.gov/masks.