(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Evanston is the latest local government to require masks in indoor public settings amid a surge of coronavirus cases attributed to the Delta variant.
The city’s Health and Human Services Department on Tuesday announced the local mask mandate, which will take effect Friday Aug. 27.
Under the measure, people over the age of 2 will be obligated to wear a mask or face covering in public indoor spaces that include retail establishments, fitness centers, restaurants, movie theaters, event venues and common areas of multi-unit residential buildings.
Evanston’s action comes after the city of Chicago and Cook County government imposed their own respective mask mandates. The Cook County order affects most suburban areas, except for municipalities, such as Evanston, that have their own health departments.
Evanston businesses will be expected to post signage reflecting the new order.
“With an increase in COVID-19 cases both locally and nationally, combined with the threat posed by the highly contagious Delta variant, we must use every tool at our disposal to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Evanston Health & Human Services Director Ike Ogbo said in a news release. “In addition to getting vaccinated, wearing a face covering in indoor public spaces is one of the most effective ways we can protect ourselves and others.”
For more information, visit cityofevanston.org/covid19.
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