CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Four local businesses have been selected to produce, source and provide one million reusable cloth masks that will be distributed across Chicago, the mayor announced Saturday.Mayor Lightfoot's office said the city has partnered with Barbara Bates Designs, G.A.I.A.U. Product Design & Development Limited, Silk Screen Express and The Will Group to create 250,000 reusable cloth masks that will be distributed to aldermanic offices through the city's mask donation initiative, and another 750,000 reusable cloth masks to be provided to vulnerable and low-income residents through the city’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team.
The mayor's office said the Chicago Department of Public Health reviewed each of the local businesses’ proposed masks to ensure they meet national safety standards. Based on their proposed product samples, production schedules and pricing, the four vendors were selected to produce masks.
“I’m thrilled to be able to have been recognized as a contributor to making masks for the citizens of Chicago — a world-class city,” said Bates.
CDPH encourages all residents to use cloth masks and save medical masks, including N95 respirators and surgical masks, for healthcare workers and first responders on the frontlines. More information about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can be found on the city's website.
Last week, Governor Pritzker’s modified stay-at-home order took effect, which requires all Chicago residents and visitors over the age of two to wear a face-covering or a cloth mask when in a public place where they can't maintain a six-foot social distance.
Officials say the state is still not out of the woods of the pandemic peak and residents must follow the coronavirus guidelines to stop the spread.
On Saturday, the Illinois Department of Public Health
announced 2,325 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois and 111 new deaths, bringing the total cases to 76,085 and 3,349 deaths.
Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have processed more than 16,000 specimens and more than 416,000 tests in all, IPDH said. On Friday, Pritzker said the
state hit a new benchmark on testing.
Saturday marked the fifth straight day with at least 100 deaths reported, the longest such streak during what Gov. Pritzker’s administration has said is the peak of the pandemic.
