August 4, 2021 – Today, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that all students and teachers in schools will be required to wear masks while indoors, as a way for state officials to take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19, specifically the delta variant.
The new requirement is effective immediately and also applies to all students and coaches participating in indoor sports and other activities. The Governor cited a “limited amount of time” to slow the spread of the variant.
“As your governor, it’s my duty to say that we must all take immediate and urgent action to slow the spread of the delta variant,” he said. “People are dying who don’t have to die,” he said.
Last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health said it will be following the CDC’s new recommendations for masking indoors at K-12 schools. The CDC said it recommends universal masking among teachers, students, staff, and visitors, regardless if they are vaccinated or not.
Below is a Q&A with Pritzker on the mandate.
