King County To Distribute 25M Face Masks, Cloth Face Coverings

SEATTLE — Over the course of the next month, King County will distribute some 25 million face coverings to the county's residents, workers and businesses as more public spaces reopen.

In a release Thursday, the county said its goal is to provide each resident with two washable cloth face coverings. It is also distributing disposable paper face masks to gathering spaces like offices, retail stores and faith-based organizations so community members in those places can help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

“We made good progress at flattening the curve, and saved thousands of lives, but with increasing activity comes the need for ever-increasing vigilance to protect each other from COVID-19,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said in a statement. “The county is providing these face coverings at no cost so that everyone who needs them can get them.”

The county said in addition to its 25 million face coverings, it's donating another 800,000 cloth coverings to residents in need by way of community organizations.

Further, it's donating 75,000 bottles of hand sanitizer through the same groups for use by employees and customers.

“We have received the first shipment of 1.5 million cloth face coverings and have already distributed them to 16 cities in the county and the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce,” Brendan McCluskey, director of King County Emergency Management, said in a statement.

Masks could take up to a month to be distributed, the county said.