Washington state officials “stepped in” after learning that Target stores were selling the masks while health care workers are suffering shortages.

Washington state officials intervened on Saturday to stop Target stores in Seattle from selling N95 face masks to the public, while doctors and other health care workers suffered from a nationwide shortage.
“We heard reports that a @target in Seattle was selling n95 masks. My staff and others stepped in,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee tweeted Saturday. “Those masks are now on their way to the health care workers who desperately need them.”
Target issued multiple apologies via Twitter on Saturday, saying it was a mistake to put the masks on shelves.
Photos posted on social media showed Target shelves stacked with what appeared to be dozens of N95 masks made by the company 3M.
—Ann Dornfeld (@anndornfeld) March 21, 2020
“Today in select Seattle stores, N95 masks were available for purchase in error,” the company tweeted in response to irate Twitter users. “We’re removing & donating them to the WA State Dept. of Health. We’re also reviewing inventory for additional masks to be donated. Target’s commitment to communities is unwavering & we apologize.”
N95 masks are highly valuable personal protective equipment in the global fight against the novel coronavirus.
Unlike other types of masks, N95 masks are designed to form a tight seal around the wearer’s mouth and nose, filtering out smaller particles.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently only recommends N95 masks for health care workers, not the general public.
Hospitals have been running out of the coveted masks, and health care workers have resorted to begging on social media for mask donations.
President Donald Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act to push private companies to pivot to producing critical items, including masks, but it’s unclear how long it could take for those masks to be available to frontline health care workers.