(WSIL) --ÌýGovernor JB Pritzker announced ThursdayÌýthat the Arbitrator in the State’s Vaccine Mandate Interest Arbitration determined that the State can and should require vaccinations for Illinois Department of Correction (IDOC) guards and Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) staff.
Employees subject to this decision will be required to get their first shot by January 31, 2022 unless they are approved for a religious or medical exemption.Ìý
“The recent surge of cases brought on by the Omicron variant has brought a serious threat to our state, and I’m glad that this ruling will protect nearly 10,000 state workers and all of the people at these facilities,â€Ì�said Governor JB Pritzker.Ìý“Protecting the health and safety of workers and residents across the state remains a top priority for my administration and I look forward to continued discussions with our labor partners as we move forward with the task of keeping our employees and residents of our congregate facilities safe.â€â€Ì�
ÌýIndividuals can visitÌýÌýto find a nearby location to receive a vaccine or booster dose.ÌýÌýTesting locations can be found atÌý, including information on the days and hours for free Community-based Testing Sites.Ìý
