Illinois Governor To End Mask Mandate By End Of The Month

Governor JB Pritzker has announced plans to start rolling back his statewide indoor mask mandate. On Wednesday, the Governor announced his intention to lift the state indoor mask mandate by February 28th. Mask requirements will continue where federally mandated, such as on public transit and in high-risk settings including healthcare facilities and congregate care. Masking requirements will also continue to apply in all daycare settings.  The state also intends to continue masking requirements in schools.

Ultimately, the Governor says lifting the mandate depends on Illinois’s coronavirus numbers. The mandate has faced pushback over the past week as COVID-19 cases in Illinois are dropping to the lowest levels seen since the onset of the Omicron variant. Municipalities and businesses in most industries may choose to continue to implement more strict public health mitigations as they deem appropriate, including requiring masks.