Face mask requirement ends Monday, but some exceptions apply: Here's what you need to know
Monday marks the end of COVID-19 mask requirements indoors in most public spaces in Illinois, but a number of exceptions apply. Here's what to know:
• The mask mandate, enacted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker Aug. 30, 2021, is lifted as of Monday. However, local jurisdictions, private businesses and retailers may institute their own requirements.
• The city of Chicago and Cook County also are halting masking and proof-of-vaccination rules.
• Federal mask requirements still apply on public transit systems, including Metra trains, Pace buses, and Chicago Transit Agency trains and buses. The rules also encompass airports like O'Hare and Midway and on airplanes.
• Masks must be worn in health care centers such as hospitals and clinics, in long-term care facilities like nursing homes, at day cares, and in congregate settings including group homes.
• The Illinois Supreme Court on Friday vacated a lower-court decision that halted Pritzker's mask mandates for schools, but the governor decided to lift the mandate as of Monday anyway, citing new CDC guidance. Many districts are recommending masks but not requiring them.
• The CDC on Friday also removed its mask requirement for people using public and private school vans and buses.