Chicago and state mask mandates have been dropped for fully vaccinated Illinoisans in most circumstances. Here is where masks will continue to be required, or not.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants masks on and social distancing intact when children return to school next year. Most COVID-19 restrictions will be dropped June 11, but not all.
Illinoisans on June 11 will take off their masks and breathe a sigh of relief – except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mandates.
Illinoisans are not getting COVID-19 vaccinations at the rate they once were, so Gov. J.B. Pritzker may turn to cash prizes through a vaccine lottery to boost immunizations.
After nearly 17,000 Illinois parents opposed a bill to impose state health mandates on private schools, and state lawmakers let the effort sit, it seemed the fight was over. Not quite. A teachers union lead lobbyist pledged to keep pursuing it.
Illinois could fully reopen by June 11, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker decided the state was still a disaster zone and he needed emergency powers until the end of June.
The hospitality industry’s heavy losses during COVID-19 are still being felt, with one McDonald’s offering iPhones to lure recruits. Half the states trimmed unemployment to get workers back, but Pritzker’s message to struggling businesses is they should pay $1.5 billion in new taxes.
Pritzker borrowed during the pandemic rather than making responsible budget decisions. So Illinois’ federal relief must repay debt rather than helping businesses recover like other states.
Grocery and liquor stores would be barred from selling beer, wine and liquor after 10 p.m. if Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot gets her way. She said the move would curb crime by stopping gatherings outside liquor stores and help recovering bars and restaurants.
Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.