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News > Brazil

Illinois Governor Issues Mask Mandate for Schools

  • People arrive at a Cubs' game with no attendance limits, Chicago, U.S., June 11, 2021.

    People arrive at a Cubs' game with no attendance limits, Chicago, U.S., June 11, 2021. | Photo: Xinhua

Published 5 August 2021
Opinion

Governor Pritzker's decision sets a "prudent course of action," the Illinois Federation of Teachers pointed out.

U.S. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a new mask mandate for pre-school through higher school students and staff statewide, effective immediately.

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The requirement will apply to all indoor athletic activities in schools. Masking will also be required in long-term care facilities statewide. However, masks won't be required for outdoor sports and activities.

Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery said that the mask mandate is a "prudent course of action." On the same day, Pritzker simultaneously signed a vaccine mandate for employees in state prisons, veterans home and other congregate settings, which will take effect on Oct. 4.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended last week that everyone wear masks in schools, regardless of vaccination status. Chicago Public Schools, the state's largest district, had already made the decision to require masks, but other districts have made it optional.

The Illinois Education Association, a union representing more than 135,000 educators in Illinois, said that it is thankful for the mask mandate. It also encouraged everyone to get vaccinated.

According to the state Department of Public Health, a little less than 59 percent of the eligible population in Illinois has been fully vaccinated. Health officials on Wednesday reported another 2,364 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, pushing the average number of daily cases over the past week to 2,099, the highest level since the week ending May 9.

The number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 rose to 1,165 statewide as of Tuesday night, bringing the seven-day average to 982, more than double the level a month earlier. In all, COVID-19 has claimed 23,476 lives in Illinois since the pandemic began.

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