Meijer will be providing free N95 masks to store customers across the Midwest to help limit the spread of COVID-19 amidst a record-breaking surge in infections and hospitalizations.
Customers can pick up three masks each at store entrances, where a Meijer greeter will be distributing them.
The chain said Monday that it received around 3 million masks through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' free mask program, which the Biden administration announced last week would provide 400 million masks to U.S. residents through pharmacies and community health centers.
The announcement followed emphasis from federal officials that N95 masks offer better protection against the highly-infectious omicron variant of the coronavirus that is driving the current surge over cloth face coverings.
The administration also began last week its program promising to deliver four free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests, which residents can get by ordering through covidtests.gov or through the United States Postal Service at usps.com/covidtest.