[ad_1]
BAY CITY, MI – Two locations are now open in Bay County for residents to receive free face masks and COVID-19 testing kits.
The Bay County Health Department announced that it will begin providing free KN95 face masks and rapid antigen tests beginning Friday, Jan. 28. The free items will be available at the health department’s facility at 1200 Washington Ave. in downtown Bay City. The kits can be picked up during the health department’s normal business hours of 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. No appointment is required.
The Bay County Department on Aging will also be providing masks and test kits as well. Bay County seniors can stop in at the Department of Aging on the 2nd floor of the County Building at 515 Center Avenue in Bay City. The department will be open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Both locations will be providing a ten pack of KN95 masks and one testing kit containing two tests. The items will be available at both locations while supplies last and will be limited to one pack of masks and one testing kit per person.
“As COVID-19 continues to surge with the presence of the highly contagious omicron variant, getting vaccinated and boosted, as well as wearing a well-fitting mask over your mouth and nose in indoor public settings or crowds is crucial to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. BCHD recommends upgrading your mask to a high filtration respirator, like KN95′s, for ideal protection” said a statement from the health department..
The free masks and test kits are coming at a time when Bay County and the surrounding area is still seeing a high number of COVID-19 cases. According to the MI Safe Start Map, Bay County saw a 37.1% test positivity rate from Jan. 20 – Jan. 26 and 1,588 weekly cases in the same time frame. The numbers are decreasing slightly, however. Bay County saw a 39.7% test positivity rate from Jan. 14 – Jan. 19, with a total of 2,130 weekly cases in the that time frame.
The free masks have been made available throughout the state as a part of Michigan’s Mask Up, Mask Right Campaign, according to the health department. Additional mask distributions sites can be found at michigan.gov/maskupmichigan or by calling a hotline at 888-535-6136.
More from MLive
NAACP partnering with Bay City church to host COVID-19 vaccine clinic
FDA removes authorization for 2 COVID antibody treatments, not effective against Omicron
COVID-19 Q&A: Should I report the results of my at-home rapid test?
[ad_2]
Source link
