The Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) are giving away masks and gloves to schools, grocers, libraries, social service agencies and other agencies that need it, according to a news release.

“Deliveries have already been made to the state’s Educational Service Centers (ESCs) for school use,” the news release said. “The departments are working with ESCs to assist with the logistics of distributing 4.2 million masks and gloves to schools as they start the new year.”

“We are fortunate to have enough PPE in our warehouse to distribute to organizations who need it,” said DAS Director Kathleen Madden. “We’re pleased to provide this PPE to our schools who are working so hard to have a safe and healthy start to the year.”

The Knox Educational Service Center already has enough masks and gloves, Superintendent Timm Mackley told the Mount Vernon News.

“Nobody in Knox County is short on anything,” he said. “We’re pretty well supplied. Everybody is well equipped, but the state has a lot to give away.”

The supplies are available from the state if the county needs them, Mackley said.

“All we have to do is ask,” he said. “At this point, I don’t think we need to ask.”

In addition to millions of masks and gloves to schools, the state is shipping about approximately 468,000 masks and 1.5 million gloves to grocers, the news release said.