Need free N95 masks? Supplies in Wake, Durham and Orange counties are running out fast.

Free N95 masks are dwindling across the Triangle, as people seek stronger protection against the continued omicron surge.

The free masks, provided by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, were available at locations throughout Wake, Durham and Orange counties. But by late Monday morning, Orange County had depleted its supply.

N95s offer the most protection against COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cloth masks are no longer considered as effective at fighting the virus, especially as the more contagious omicron variant drives community spread, the CDC said.

N95 masks can be worn for about five days in a row, officials say.

The masks will be available at the following sites while supplies last.

Wake County running low on mask supply

In Wake County, residents can get one N95 mask per household member at these locations, while supplies last.

• Wake County Health & Human Services Center at 10 Sunnybrook Road in Raleigh, 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
• Wake County Southern Regional Center at 130 N. Judd Parkway NE in Fuquay-Varina from 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
• Wake County Eastern Regional Center at 1002 Dogwood Drive in Zebulon from 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Residents must enter each building and head to the information desks to pick up the masks.

Supplies are expected to run out by the end of Monday, said Stacy Beard, a county spokeswoman.

N95 masks were also distributed at Wake County testing sites and vaccination clinics for those with appointments for each service, but Beard warned those sites were running out as well.

In collaboration with Wake County, the Town of Morrisville also distributed N95 masks to community members.

Masks are available at Morrisville Town Hall at 100 Town Hall Drive in Morrisville on Monday and Tuesday, according to a town news release. Residents can receive one mask per family member, up to a maximum of six masks per household, between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. Monday and 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday.

In total, Wake County received 208,000 masks from DHHS.

Of those, 40,000 were initially distributed to community groups serving historically marginalized populations, with an additional 20,000 being sent to those groups Tuesday, Beard said.

About 80,000 masks were available through the public pick-up sites, beginning Jan. 20. As of Monday morning, just a few hundred were left across the remaining sites, Beard said.

Durham County to distribute masks this week

Durham County will distribute free N95 masks at all Durham County Libraries except the Stanford L. Warren Library on Fayetteville Street, which is closed for repairs.

The masks will be available Tuesday at the front desk of each library during its regular hours.

Each household will be eligible for two bags of five N95 masks, the county said.

Residents can go to these library locations to pick up the masks:

• Durham County Main Library at 300 N. Roxboro St.

• East Regional Library at 211 Lick Creek Lane

• North Regional Library at 221 Milton Road

• South Regional Library at 4505 S. Alston Ave.

• Southwest Regional Library at 3605 Shannon Road

• Bragtown Branch Library at 3200 Dearborn Drive

Durham County will also offer two bags of five N95 masks to those receiving COVID-19 testing at Optum Serve testing locations, the county said.

The masks will only be available after completing a test, and are available at these locations:

• Durham County Memorial Stadium at 750 Stadium Drive from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
• El Centro Hispano at 2000 Chapel Hill Road from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
• Wheels Fun Park at 715 N. Hoover Road from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
• 414 E. Main St. on Saturday-Sunday only from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Each library location and testing site will receive 500 masks, said Alecia Smith, a spokeswoman for Durham County Public Health. They will restock “as quickly as possible if locations run out of masks,” she added.

Orange County distributes all N95s within an hour

In Orange County, all available N95 masks were distributed within an hour Monday morning at the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough and Inter-Faith Council for Social Service in Carrboro.

Kristin Prelipp, a county spokeswoman, said 14,000 masks were distributed in packs of 20. Each household received one pack, she said.

The library ran out within 10 minutes, while the IFC’s supply lasted about an hour, she said.

“We do not know if we will be receiving another shipment from NCDHHS,” Prelipp said in an email.

This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 11:31 AM.