UPDATE: 2:30 p.m.
(WSIL) -- Governor JB Pritzker is giving more details on the State of Illinois' plan to lift the mask mandate.
The governor has confirmed that if the state continues to see a decline in hospitalizations, the mandate will be lifted on February 28. The governor reiterated that this is a goal, which can be adjusted based on current data.
Governor Pritzker reinstated a statewide mask mandate back in August, when there were 2,266 people hospitalized with the virus.
As of Wednesday, 2,496 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Illinois and more than 4,700 new cases of COVID were reported.
IDPH is also reporting 449 people with COVID-19 in the ICU and 243 people on ventilators. With 20% of ICU beds now available statewide, this marks the fastest rate of decline in the hospital metrics since the pandemic began.
The governor did emphasize that individual businesses and organizations can keep mask requirements in place, "I want to be clear: Many local jurisdictions, businesses and organizations have their own mask requirements and other mitigations that must be respected. Throughout this pandemic, we’ve deployed the tools available to us as needed. Our approach has saved lives and kept our economy open and growing.�
The state intends to continue masking requirements in P-12 schools subject to pending litigation which impacts a number of schools. As the CDC reaffirmed Wednesday, masks remain a critical tool to keep schools safe and open.
The governor says keeping schools open is critical.
"Schools are open and should remain open. Protecting everyone in a community, their education and their health, is my highest priority"
Illinois will continue to require masks in the following settings:
- Healthcare Settings: Continue mask requirement
- Long Term Care Facilities: Continue mask requirement
- Congregate Settings (prisons, shelters, etc.): Continue mask requirement
- Transportation: Follow
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“While masks will no longer be required in most indoor locations beginning February 28, they are still recommended,”�said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Masks offer a layer of protection and for people who have an underlying health condition or who are around those who do, you may choose to continue wearing a mask. Similarly, if you find yourself in a crowded, indoor setting, a mask can still help protect you. We will continue to recommend masks.�
Per the , Illinois continues to lead the Midwest in people who have received at least one shot, with 75.7% of people having received their first dose. Illinois also has the most fully vaccinated 17-and-under population in the region, though across the nation, youth vaccination rates continue to trail adult rates.
ORIGINAL STORY
(WSIL) -- During a press conference Wednesday morning, Governor JB Pritzker gave more details on his plan to lift the state's mask mandate.
The governor said his intention is to lift the mask mandate in indoor locations by February 28.
This would not apply to schools. He said more details on that mask mandate would come in the weeks following.
Governor Pritzker said, "Of course we still have the sensitive locations of K-12 schools, where we have lots of people who are joined together inside smaller spaces, thousands of people interacting in one location at a time, and so that's something that will come weeks hence."
The governor has always said the mask decision was driven by hospitalization data, and hospitalizations statewide have been falling consistently for the past seven days.
That has been the key metric the governor's office has focused on in making mask mandate decisions.
Overall, the governor says he is pleased with how things are trending.
"Things are getting better across the state of Illinois, and that's really a credit to leaders across the state, but really to the people of Illinois."
More details on lifting the mandate are expected during a COVID-19 update at 2 p.m., which you can watch on-air on WSIL, on our websiteԻ.
