llinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday said he’s concerned about reports that minorities have faced discrimination while wearing face masks, which are required in certain circumstances during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pritzker has ordered Illinoisans to wear a mask or face covering when they cannot keep proper social distance from strangers, such as at a supermarket. The mandate, which took effect May 1, applies to anyone 2 and older who does not have a medical condition preventing them from complying.
The governor said there have been reports of “misplaced assumptions about masks leading to incidents of racial profiling." The victims have been people of color, especially men, Pritzker said.
“I want to call on the public to help us stop these hateful incidents by speaking out and standing up for others in your community,” he said.
Pritzker did not offer a specific anecdote, but Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner says he walked out of a store wearing a mask and gloves this week when a police officer asked to see his receipt and his ID.
Buckner says the officer told him people were committing crimes under cover of the pandemic.
Pritzker said people can report incidents of discrimination to the Illinois Department of Human Rights at idhr.webmail@illinois.gov.
The governor said mask-wearing certainly is a change for society but that the requirement is necessary to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
"It's on us to change how we think about face coverings," Pritzker said. "Protecting your fellow Americans by wearing a face covering in public is a collective act of patriotism."
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 2,270 new cases of coronavirus, including 136 deaths. To date, 68,232 people have tested positive and 2,974 people have died from coronavirus-related complications.
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