Illinois’ newest indoor mask mandate begins Monday – CIProud.com
CIProud.com
by: Annie Kate
ILLINOIS (WMBD) — Illinois residents are now required to wear masks in all indoor settings beginning Monday, Aug. 30.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the mandate last Thursday. He said is public safety concerns center around hospitalizations.
He said ICU usage has increased by a factor of seven this summer alone. He also said that at least 95 percent of all COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are unvaccinated people.
“It is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Pritzker said in his address Thursday.
He said the communities with the most unvaccinated residents are the same communities with the least amount of hospitals and resources.
Along with the indoor mask mandate, Pritzker also announced a vaccine mandate for some healthcare workers and school teachers and staff. This mandate is effective Sept. 5.
Teachers must get vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. If the worker refuses, they cannot return to work.
State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) said he thinks more people, including local units of government, should have a say in these sweeping decisions.
“The issue with mask mandates is that people throughout the state of Illinois are tired of all the decisions for the state of Illinois being made by one person,” Spain said. “We have to restore checks and balances.”
He said Illinois is a very big state with many diverse communities, all with different needs.
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Heartland Community College (HCC), and auto manufacturer Rivian are coming together to offer the first look at the new Electric Vehicle Energy Storage (EVES) training instructional operations.
State officials, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, will attend the event.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – A report of a kidnapping lead to an officer-involved shooting on Evansville’s far west side on Tuesday.
Dispatchers say officers were called to the scene at a home in the 1800 block of Stinson Avenue near James Avenue just after 11 p.m. Tuesday to assist Indiana State Police in a possible kidnapping and murder.