Local health agencies distribute thousands of masks to community

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Local health agencies recently began distributing thousands of masks to the Hillsdale community, according to a press release from the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency.

The BHSJ health agency and the Area Agency on Aging began distributing KN95 masks Feb. 1, according to AAA Director Laura Sutter.

Local health agency offices will distribute masks to anyone who requests them, according to the BHSJ health agency website. Residents in the City of Hillsdale can find masks at the local BHSJ  agency office, located at 20 Care Drive, Sutter said.

The BHSJ health agency announced on its website that it will provide one box of 10 masks per person, while supplies last. 

“We have limited quantities, so we want to spread it to as many folks as we can,” Sutter said.

According to Sutter, the KN95 mask offers higher protection against contracting COVID-19 than cloth face masks.

“KN95 masks offer up to five days if they’re gently used,” Sutter said. “We’re just trying to get them out to everyone that finds a need for the extra protection that KN95 masks offer.”

The AAA is contributing 2,000 masks for distribution in Hillsdale County, according to Sutter. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services gave 10,000 masks to the AAA, Sutter said, and 20,000 masks to the BHSJ health agency.

As COVID-19 positivity rates continue to surge in our communities, 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,” BHSJ Public Health Officer Rebecca Burns said in a statement on the agency’s website.

The MDHHS gave masks to these agencies as part of the state’s Mask Up, Mask Right campaign, according to the BHSJ health agency’s website

“Masks are available through MDHHS offices, local health departments,  Area Agency on Aging offices, Community Action Agencies, Federally Qualified Health Centers and  Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly,” according to Michigan.gov.Some agencies will further distribute the masks to local partners such as homeless shelters.”

The local AAA has contributed masks to several community organizations, according to Sutter.

“Community organizations could even request them,” Sutter said. “We’ve given a couple to our county buildings, schools, the fitness centers.”

The local Area Agency on Aging is part of the BHSJ health agency. According to Sutter, the groups often collaborate.

“We work with them on a number of different projects to support people with disabilities and older adults,” Sutter said.

While the Area Agency on Aging only serves Branch and St. Joseph counties, according to Sutter, they provided masks to Hillsdale as part of their partnership with the BHSJ health agency.

“We thought it would be easiest and most collaborative to provide one of the boxes of masks that we received to the Hillsdale county office so that they could hand them out more easily,” Sutter said. 

Sutter explained the agency’s goal.

“Let’s work together to get these masks to anybody that may want them,” Sutter said.