As we reported in an earlier blog post, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced in late August that it would be making up to 125 million cloth face masks available to states for distribution to schools. Wisconsin’s share of this distribution is to be 1.6 million masks.
At the time of our earlier blog post, it was unknown when the masks would arrive. We now have an update to report.
According to sources in touch with staff of the state Department of Health Services (DHS) and Wisconsin Emergency Management that are working on this project, the state received a shipment of cloth face masks from DHHS last week. However, the amount the state received is half of what it had been expecting and the masks that were received are sized for middle and high school students. The other half of the shipment is expected to arrive in late September to early October.
As noted, when the distribution is completed a total of 1.6 million cloth masks are supposed to be included in the distribution. It is likely that some disposable masks will likely be included in those shipments as well.
The DHS and Department of Emergency Management would like to start distributing these by early October; however, it is unknown exactly when the state will receive the “youth-sized” masks.
The DPI recently surveyed school districts about whether they would volunteer to serve as the shipping addresses and distribution sites for the portion of the cloth masks intended for child care centers. So far, about 40 to 50 school districts have volunteered. These districts will receive shipments that include bundles of masks of masks being distributed by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) which oversees child care facilities.
These school districts will not have to deliver the masks, but will serve as a pick-up point. Representatives from child care centers will come to the schools to pick up their allocations.
