(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday said there are signs that growth in new COVID-19 cases appears to be leveling off, but he’s not making any promises about ending the latest restrictions.
“Certainly over the last few days, when put together and averaged, it seems like things are flattening,” he said of coronavirus metrics. “And that’s a really good piece of news for all of us.”
He said it's too early to talk about ending the indoor mask mandate that took effect on Monday.
In-person school is back in session across much of the state, and Pritzker said the Illinois Department of Public Health will keep a close eye on coronavirus numbers in schools.
"It's important for us to monitor very closely as they're interacting with one another. We're talking about teachers, superintendents, administrators, and other people that work in schools, the parents that interact in the school — not to mention the kids themselves that we're trying to protect," the governor said.
Pritzker added that there are two proven methods to stop the spread of COVID.
“Mask-wearing does an awful lot to curb the spread, and of course, getting vaccinated is the most important thing people can do to keep people safe," Pritzker said.
He praised restaurants and gyms that are requiring customers to provide proof of vaccination.
He said that the state is not considering a vaccine mandate at this time, but he added that a number of options are on the table if COVID-19 case counts start to go up at alarming levels.
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