Pritzker To Phase Out Mask Mandate In Illinois: Reports

ILLINOIS — Days after a judge issued a temporary restraining order voiding the school mask mandate in Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was expected to announce that the state's indoor mask mandate will soon be phased out, according to multiple news reports.

The governor was expected to make the announcement during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

But the plan to gradually remove the indoor mask mandate does not include the removal of the school mask mandate, sources told NBC. Pritzker continued to fight a Sangamon County judge's ruling voiding school mask requirements, and said he has asked Attorney General Kwame Raoul to ask another judge to quickly overturn the ruling.

A source told Crain's Chicago Business that Pritzker will announce that the indoor mask mandate will be lifted in "a couple of weeks." Indoor mask requirements will be lifted in stages and potentially removed entirely by March, WGN reported.

WTTW reported that Pritzker intends to lift the mask mandate starting Feb. 28, but plans to continue requiring masks in schools and long-term care facilities for now.

Last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced more than 60,000 new COVID-19 cases, but that's a steep drop from late January, when IDPH announced a weekly new case load of more than 123,000. Hospital capacity woes have also sharply declined in recent weeks after the omicron variant surge peaked in Illinois.

In the City of Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has also hinted that some restrictions — such as requiring proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms and other venues — could be loosened.