Pritzker Ends Mask Mandate
Governor JB Pritzker announced Monday he would remove the state’s mask mandate in light of new CDC guidance that vaccinated people no longer have to wear a mask.
If you are vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask.
That was the practical effect of CDC guidance issued last week, and Monday Governor JB Pritzker followed suit.
Pritzker amended his Bridge Phase Executive Order allowing those who are vaccinated not to wear a mask either indoors or out.
“People who have been are vaccinated, really, are being protected, that’s what the studies are showing,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Monday. “We’re protected against the variants so far, and that’s great news. People who aren’t vaccinated, however, are unprotected [and] can give it to each other. Those who are vaccinated don’t seem to carry the virus and shed it to other people. Those who are unvaccinated, unfortunately, can and do.”
The Governor’s order outlined eased restrictions for vaccinated people.
• Resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance
• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel
• Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States
• Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings
• Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic
• Refrain from routine screening testing if feasible
Businesses are allowed to further enforce masking requirements inside their stores.
Pritzker says he understands that people may have some trepidation about being around unmasked people.
“I’m gonna take it gently and carefully moving forward, but I do think that the CDC’s guidelines are good ones and that we will follow them here in the state of Illinois,” he said, calling continued masking a “comfort factor.”
But Pritzker says there will be less hesitation when more people are masked.
“Those who are unvaccinated: please get vaccinated. I would rather that you didn’t have to wear a mask and you were just protected with a vaccine.