No Mask Required For Vaccinated Students In Illinois: IDPH

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Illinois public health officials announced Friday the state will allow vaccinated students to attend school without a face mask this fall, following federal guidelines put in place last week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated guidelines also ease rules for teachers who have been fully vaccinated. So far, only students age 12 and up are eligible to receive a vaccine, with Pfizer/BioNTech being the only option for the age range.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike and Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin said the announcement was based on the latest scientific information.

"Our goal is to protect the health of students, teachers, and staff so that in-person learning can resume as safely as possible," Ezike said in a statement.

Officials did not say how schools should regulate the new guidelines, leaving school administrators with the choice to check vaccine status.

Due to the age limitations on most COVID-19 vaccines, the updated recommendations will have a larger impact on middle schools and high schools.

"All our students deserve to return safely in-person to schools this fall," state superintendent of education Carmen Ayala said in a written statement. "With vaccination rates continually rising and unprecedented federal funding to support safe in-person learning, and mitigations such as contact tracing and increased ventilation in place in schools, we are fully confident in the safety of in-person learning this fall."

Ayala issued a declaration Friday that mandates in-person learning return this fall, with some exceptions for vulnerable students. Remote learning will still be an option for students who haven't received a COVID-19 vaccine in the event they are required to quarantine.

The Illinois State Board of Education said the new guidance will take place immediately in all public and nonpublic Illinois schools.