Soon, nearly everyone in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta can have access to N-95 masks. They will be distributed to villages, and they will be available for free. When worn correctly, the masks, also called respirators, are able to filter out small airborne particles like the COVID-19 virus.
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) is partnering with tribes across the region to distribute the masks to residents. The masks come from the Indian Health Service. YKHC’s goal is to ship out enough N-95s to each village so that each resident has two free masks. Each village should receive an initial shipment by March 25, and tribes will then distribute the masks to community members.
In Bethel, residents can pick up N-95 masks on Sunday, March 20 from noon to 3 p.m. at the COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot across from the hospital. If YKHC runs out of N-95s at that event, they will hand out KN-95 masks. YKHC will later announce other ways that Bethel residents can access N-95 masks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued instructions on how to properly wear N-95 masks so that they form a seal around your nose and mouth.
