Metro Atlanta Kroger stores to offer free N95 masks to customers

METRO ATLANTA — If you live in Georgia, eastern Alabama or South Carolina and need a stronger mask to help guard against COVID-19, you should soon be able to get one at Kroger stores.

The Cincinnati-based grocery chain’s Atlanta division partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to acquire a supply of N95 surgical masks and will make the masks available in the store’s pharmacy department.

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“Kroger is grateful for the ongoing role we’re able to play in helping help our associates and customers protect themselves and our communities against COVID-19,” said Felix Turner, manager of corporate affairs for Kroger’s Atlanta Division. “We have many accessible stores across the region and invite our customers to visit to pick up free non-surgical respirator masks for their household.”

Kroger said that delivery schedules show they’ll have the masks delivered by Thursday Jan. 27 and will distribute them to the individual stores shortly thereafter. Kroger said they’ll announce when the masks will be available at the stores once they get delivered.

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Kroger provided a list of things customers should know about picking up the masks:

• Up to three free non-surgical N95 masks are available to every person or customer.
• In every Kroger store with a pharmacy, simply look for the branded display or ask an associate for assistance.
• To learn more about the importance of masking, visit cdc.gov/coronavirus.
• To learn how to properly put on and remove the non-surgical N95 mask, visit here and here.

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“As part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, Kroger Health is incredibly proud to be part of the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history and continue our partnership with the Biden administration and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reduce the spread of the aggressive omicron variant in the communities we serve,” said Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger’s chief medical officer. “Wearing a mask and getting vaccinated continue to be the top defense tools in our nation’s fight against COVID-19. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free non-surgical N95 masks and make an appointment today to get vaccinated or boosted.”

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination or booster appointment at a local Kroger pharmacy, please visit Kroger.com/covidvaccine.

As COVID-19 cases surge, local doctors say cloth masks are aren’t enough protection against omicron Local doctors believe counting on the vaccine and cloth or surgical masks has provided a false sense of security with the omicron variant.

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