Following a press release on Wednesday, Feb. 9, Pritzker revealed a plan to gradually lift the Illinois mask mandate as COVID cases and hospitalizations decrease. However, schools will not be included in the lift of the mask mandate.

Masks have been required in public places in Illinois since the United States went into a state of emergency on March 13, 2020 due to COVID. Now as the country transitions out of that, Pritzker announces a plan to lift Illinois mask mandate.

“We are now seeing the fastest rate of decline in our COVID-19 hospitalization metrics since the pandemic began. If these trends continue, and we expect them to, then on Monday, February 28th, we will lift the indoor mask requirement for the State of Illinois,” Pritzker said.

During the uprising of the Omicron COVID variant, hospitalizations peaked at 7,312 on Jan. 12, and as of Feb. 8, Illinois is sitting just under 2,500 COVID hospitalizations.

“In person learning in a healthy environment is best for our children. School outbreaks impact hundreds even thousands of people across a community. And there are a whole lot more infections when districts are mask-less. Schools are unlike most other environments, there are far lower vaccination rates for school age children than adults. Higher exposure… on a daily basis to younger children who aren’t yet vaccine eligible and more difficulty maintaining distance in hallways and gyms and classrooms. The equation for schools just looks different right now than it does for the general population,” Pritzker said.

While the mask mandate will be lifted for the entire state, Pritzker encourages local communities and jurisdictions to enforce masks again if there is an outbreak. Private businesses and organizations also reserve the right to enforce masks on their property.

“Doing what’s right in your private business or for your local communities is encouraged. Whether you’re a business, a township, a venue, a place of worship or a city to name just a few examples, protecting your patrons and visitors is no doubt a high priority,” Pritzker said.

To close the press release Pritzker addressed any citizens who may choose to continue to wear masks for personal reasons.

“The lifting of the state mask requirement should not invite people not wearing masks to dissuade those who chose to wear masks. Remember that whether we remove masks or not COVID-19 has not gone away. There are so many Illinoisans who need to protect themselves from the virus more than others,” Pritzker said.