SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the state will lift its indoor mask mandate for most locations beginning Monday, Feb. 28. However, the change does not include schools.
The governor made the announcement Wednesday after reports started circulating about the plan Tuesday evening.
Starting Feb. 28, establishments no longer have to require masks indoors. However, Gov. Pritzker emphasized businesses and communities can continue to have their own mandates and mitigations, and the public should respect those requests.
"Masks continue to be a very effective way to keep your establishment from experiencing an outbreak of the disease," Pritzker said during a live briefing Wednesday afternoon.
Business owner Josua Lee feels the choice to put on a mask lies with the individual or the business.
"Don't force people to do things, that why we live in this county and the freedom of choice," Lee said.
Austin Rolens believes an individual's choice should be respected by all, even if you don't agree.
"People can't just come (into a business) and say I'm not wearing a mask because it's not enforced. No, businesses still have that right"
Pritzker said schools still need a little more time, so the mask mandate will continue for now for preschool through 12th grade. The mandate also stays in place for daycare settings. State officials cited lower vaccination rates among children and younger kids who aren't eligible for vaccines yet.
“Children’s social-emotional and academic growth is best supported in the in-person educational setting, so extra precaution should be taken to prevent disruption and avoid adaptive pauses and remote learning,” said Dr. Zach Rubin, a pediatric immunologist based in DuPage County. “Maintaining masking and mitigation practices in the school environment buys us more time for infection rates to drop."
Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville student Stephen Wood said he doesn't mind putting on a mask but sees them being less effective when cases aren't surging. Many of his classes are packed with students.
"When you are in a classroom shoulder to shoulder, is it really that helpful?
Masks continue to be highly recommended for everyone, especially in crowded situations and where the vaccination status of those around you is unknown.
"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," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. "Similarly, if you find yourself in a crowded, indoor setting, a mask can still help protect you. We will continue to recommend masks.”
The state's move does not affect federal mask mandates, which still require face coverings in federal buildings, on public transportation and in high-risk settings, like health care facilities. As of Wednesday, the federal mandate continues through March 18.
Officials credited COVID-19 hospitalization rates that are "declining faster than any other point in the pandemic," the state wrote in a news release. The governor said lifting the mandate will only happen if that trend continues, which they expect to happen.
Last week, a central Illinois judge issued a temporary restraining order that prevents school districts statewide from requiring students to wear masks in classrooms, saying Pritzker overstepped his legal authority with a mask mandate that has angered many parents and teachers.
In a ruling issued Friday in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of parents and teachers, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow also determined that several more of Pritzker's emergency orders to combat the spread of COVID-19, including one issued last year that mandates vaccinations for school employees, are “null and void.”
Pritzker had harsh words for the judge's decision and quickly urged the state's attorney general's office to appeal, suggesting the ruling could spark another surge in the virus and force schools to close their doors and revert to online classes.
The 29-page ruling left nearly 160 districts scrambling to make decisions on Monday.
Some schools decided to keep their mandates while others gave students an option.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.