President Joe Biden’s administration is working to send around 25 million masks to both 1,300 health centers and 60,000 food pantries across the nation. The administration has said they are doing so in order to give aid to some of the nation’s most powerless communities.

Set to be delivered later this March, these masks have been approved by the CDC, and will be completely free to members within the affected communities. As a result, White House staff has predicted that at least 12 million Americans will receive the much needed  masks.

“While masks are widely available in many different shapes and sizes, many low-income Americans still lack affordable access to this basic protection. That’s why we’re taking this important action to keep Americans safe,” said Jeff Zients, President Biden’s Covid-19 Response Coordinator. Zients, has also stated that it is more effective to distribute masks to those who truly need them rather than simply giving one to every American citizen, as was previously planed.

Biden has been working on mandating masks ever since he entered office, and has already mandated them in any type of city transportation and on federal properties. Many states already had mask mandates in public places such as restaurants and grocery stores, but this ensures consistency across state lines and federal institutions.

The Trump administration had also planned to distribute masks, but President Donald Trump denounced the idea, and no action was ever taken to deliver masks to the most vulnerable communities.

According to the CDC, wearing a mask is still the most effective way to keep yourself and others safe from the coronavirus; advising that for those seeking even more protection from COVID-19, the wearing of an additional surgical mask under a fabric one, a technique widely known as double-masking.