Prior to Pritzker's announcement, Chicago Public Schools said face coverings would still be required in the classroom following the latest CDC guidance. In a statement, Pritzker explained Illinois will move forward to remove its school mask mandate after the Centers for Disease Control updated guidance to recommend masks only in areas of high COVID transmission.
Pritzker announced Friday after the Illinois Supreme Court denied his appeal of a restraining order in a lawsuit challenging the mask mandate. Illinois will end its requirement of face masks in schools Monday, Gov. counties, where about 28% of Americans live. That's the situation in about 37% of U.S. The agency is still advising people, including schoolchildren, to wear masks where the risk of COVID-19 is high. Are masks still required in schools, according to the CDC? Here's where Chicago and Illinois stand and what to do based on where you live. While Chicago-area counties aren't experiencing troublesome metrics, the situation is different in other parts of Illinois. In such areas, those at risk for severe illness are encouraged to talk to their health care provider about whether a mask should be worn and if other precautions should be taken, according to the CDC. LaSalle County, which technically sits outside the designated metropolitan area, has been ranked as a "medium" community level. Only Kenosha County, Wisconsin, is said to be in the "high" category, meaning people are advised to wear masks in public indoor spaces, including schools, and take additional precautions if at risk for severe illness.
In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metropolitan area, which includes portions of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, all 15 counties but one are ranked as "low" community levels, and as a result, masks aren't recommended. Man fatally Shot on Red Line in West Chatham