CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Effective immediately, all students, teachers and staff in daycares and preschool through 12th grades are required to wear masks indoors regardless of their vaccination status, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday.
Pritzker, speaking at an afternoon press conference, said the school mandates support children’s full return to in-person learning.
“Our goal has always been that every child can go to school this fall,” Pritzker said, later adding, “We have the legal authority to enforce this and we will if necessary.”
Illinois is home to 1.8 million children under age 12 who aren’t eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Free COVID-19 testing supplies will be provided to schools statewide.
“Children can absolutely get COVID-19 and spread it to others,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike warned.
The governor also announced that all employees working in congregant facilities, including those working at the Departments of Human Services, Veterans’ Affairs, Corrections and Juvenile Justice, must receive the COVID-19 vaccine by Oct. 4.
The state will inform the respective employee unions about this requirement.
The governor is also requiring universal masking in all long-term care facilities including those that are privately owned.
“People are dying who don’t have to die. It’s heartbreaking and it impacts us all,” Pritzker said. “We need to act now or risk what we’re starting to see in places like Florida.”
Over the past few days, Florida has been reporting a record number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
In Illinois, people under age 29 accounted for 12% of COVID-19 hospitalizations in June, according to the IDPH.
The mask mandates and vaccination requirement came as the delta variant continues to surge and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health recommending that masks be worn indoors at schools regardless of vaccine status.
There currently aren’t any plans to issue a statewide mask mandate for all indoor facilities but the governor said adjustments would be made if necessary.
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