Free mask giveaway quickly depletes in Salinas
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) A giveaway frenzy in Salinas on Friday shows just how much masks are in demand right now amid the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the Central Coast and millions across the nation.
Lines of cars extended well down East Alisal Street in Salinas Friday afternoon at the new Salinas Police Department building, where free masks were being handed out to the public.
While the giveaway started at 3 p.m., the supply of masks ran out in just about 20 minutes.
"This is crazy. This is the line! This is how we're going to get our masks in Salinas," said Cathy Hurst Neilson, who was waiting to get masks in her car and decided to take video of the situation. "People are really rude to each other, but at least I was gracious enough to let the person in front of me in."
Chinese parents at Stevenson School in Pebble Beach are planning to distribute more than 43,000 masks to local hospitals, health facilities, police and postal agencies and to the general public.
Organizers on Friday handed out about 5,000 masks in Salinas to people in their cars as officers passed them along using gloves and tongs and in packages.
"I came to get a mask, but there's no masks," said Anthony Gomez, a Salinas resident.
"We were looking to find some masks if they had anymore, and they don't," said Roco Contreras, another Salinas resident.
Ever since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed their recommendation for the public to wear masks while outside last week, a demand for masks, especially for the general public, is higher than ever.
Giveaways like these understandably create a frenzy when supplies are slim to none for the average person.
"Every time I go to grocery stores and stuff, I always want to glove and mask up, and it makes it kind of hard because there's not enough available right now," said Anthony Gomez.
"It's definitely been difficult. Everywhere we go, they're out," said Rito Contreras, a Salinas resident. "So when my son told me about it, we thought it was great first of all for the community."
But organizers are hosting more masks giveaways. They are asking the community to only go to the distribution locations in the area they live in. For now they are handing out 10 masks per car, but that could change given the frenzy on Friday.
