Pritzker Reinstates Mask Mandate
People wear mask inside of Walgreens in Wheeling, Ill., Wednesday, Aug.18, 2021. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
On August 26, Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) announced a reinstated mask mandate for all Illinoisans aged two and over in public indoor settings, in addition to making Illinois the seventh state in the nation to require teachers get vaccinated against COVID-19. Pritzker’s new orders come as the number of COVID patients occupying hospital beds statewide — including in ICU beds and on ventilators — threatens to surpass the peak reached this spring, when far fewer Illinoisans were vaccinated but some mitigations like capacity limits were lifted.
Sound from Gov. Pritzker's August 26, 2021 news conference.
Is Illinois' current Delta-fueled wave calming down? Looks like it (at least for now; remember - school just started/will start for @ChiPubSchools next week), except for in Southern Illinois. As of last night, there were 6 ICU beds available in the region (up from 1 Monday night) pic.twitter.com/5FJo4OFzqQ
— Hannah Meisel (@hannahmeisel) August 25, 2021