Pritzker Lifts Remaining COVID-19 Guidelines For IL Schools, Daycares

ILLINOIS — Unvaccinated school employees and daycare workers across Illinois will no longer be required to be tested for COVID-19 twice a week after Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday lifted the remaining mitigations for schools and early education centers surrounding the pandemic.

The changes go into effect on Friday, the governor said, and are being made on the advice of state health officials based on the current COVID-19 conditions in Illinois, Pritzker’s office announced, as well as current guidelines set forth by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC no longer requires routine testing in schools or childcare settings regardless of the vaccination status of the staff member, Pritzker's office said. However, federal health officials continue to recommend schools and other congregate educational settings consider instituting testing at times of high risk in the community, such as upon return from breaks or after large indoor events.

Illinois schools and childcare centers are urged to consider these suggestions when planning testing and prevention strategies. However, Pritzker said that state health officials determined the time for change had come in Illinois.

“Vaccination continues to be the most effective tool we have against COVID-19, and I’m proud that millions of Illinoisans have taken advantage of these life-saving vaccines – they have given us the ability to adjust these requirements,” Pritzker said in a statement issued on Thursday. “I continue to urge everyone in the state to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, including getting the recently released bivalent booster shot.

“Although the current state of the pandemic is very different than it was two years ago, we still need to protect the most vulnerable members of our community as we continue to be responsive to the changing challenges and evolutions of this virus.”

Dr. Sameer Vohra, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said on Thursday that current conditions allow for the easing of COVID-19 testing guidelines at the state’s school and daycare centers. He said that updated vaccines and effective treatment options for both children and adults allowed for the change in policy as COVID-19 conditions are much different than they were in recent months and over the past two years.

But he said the state will continue to provide free COVID-19 test kits to schools for use as health officials continue to monitor caseloads around Illinois.

“We have said all along that we should be following the science. Unlike earlier in the pandemic, we now have vaccines, vaccines to combat the newest variants, treatments and our hospitals are no longer overloaded,” Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin said. “Because of all of this, we agree with the governor’s decision to lift the vaccine or test mandate. The safety of students, and all those who work with them in our schools across the state, has always been our number one concern.”

Illinois State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala agreed.

“Educators across Illinois have spent the past two years prioritizing students’ learning and well-being. Their dedication brought students safely back to the classroom,” Ayala said Thursday. “With the knowledge and insights we have gained about COVID-19 and how to prevent its spread, Illinois can now safely lift the requirement for school personnel to be vaccinated or tested weekly. We are so grateful to reach yet another milestone in pandemic recovery and thank all of our educators, administrators, and other school personnel for the vital role they continue to play in keeping our communities safe.”