But the agency stopped short of advocating nationwide usage of N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles, both large and small.
A surgical mask, by comparison, is designed to protect others against virus particles that are breathed out.
The agency on Friday said it wants to encourage Americans to wear masks rather than push them to wear the highest-grade face protection, but also explicitly said that respirators provide the best level of protection, while, quote, "loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection."
N95 masks are flying off the conveyor belt at Protective Health Gear in Paterson, New Jersey, as the manufacturer ramps up production amidst the Omicron surge of the coronavirus in the U.S.
The company's CEO Brian Wolin says demand is through the roof.
"I've been saying since day one, if they could make these available to everyone on the planet, I personally believe every problem we had would not be here at this particular time. Certainly, these weren't available in abundance in 2020, but they are now."
The factory is operating 24/7 to manufacture 70,000 N95 respirators per day and plans to increase that number to 110,000 in the coming weeks, as demand heats up.
Critics have accused the CDC of offering shifting and confusing guidance throughout the pandemic regarding mask-wearing.
After announcing Thursday that the federal government plans to make "high-quality masks" available to Americans for free, the White House on Friday said the government will also begin shipping 500 million COVID-19 tests to Americans later this month without charge.
COVID-19 infections in United States are at their peak with nearly 780,000 new infections reported each day.
