Health & Fitness
Should Illinois Mask Up Again? Take Patch's Survey
With new CDC guidelines for areas with surging COVID-19 cases — including parts of Illinois — is it time for a new mask mandate?
ILLINOIS — Two months after Illinois declared that masks are no longer needed "in most settings" for vaccinated people, surging coronavirus cases nationwide have prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urge residents — even those who are vaccinated — to mask up indoors once more in areas with substantial and high transmission of COVID-19. That includes parts of Illinois, specifically southern Illinois and the Metro East bordering Missouri, as well as Will, DuPage and McHenry counties, where delta variant cases are on the rise.
The CDC is also calling for universal masking in K-12 schools.
According to Illinois Department of Public Health Data, parts of the state fall under substantial (orange) and high (red) transmission rates, with pockets of moderate (yellow) transmission in the Chicago area and very few areas of low (blue) transmission.
Find out what's happening in Chicagofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
On Wednesday, the Illinois Federation of Teachers — representing teachers from more than 200 Illinois school districts — and Cook County Department of Public Health said they are endorsing the new CDC guidelines and urging the public and local school districts to follow suit.
Related:
Illinois Colleges Requiring COVID-19 Vaccine: See The List
With Lollapalooza Coming Up, Pritzker Warns Of More Restrictions
Vaccinations Lag As Coronavirus Surges In IL: Nearly 8K New Cases
Find out what's happening in Chicagofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A month and a half after Illinois entered Phase 5 — fully reopening after more than a year of COVID-19 restrictions — the state could also be headed for new restrictions after nearly 8,000 new coronavirus cases were announced last week.
With a new school year starting next month and state health officials recommending that districts follow the CDC's lead, requiring students and staff to wear masks even if they're vaccinated, Patch is asking readers: What do you think?
Should even vaccinated residents wear masks indoors? Should schools continue to require masks? And does Illinois need a new mask mandate?
Take Patch's survey below and let us know how you feel. The survey is meant not to be a scientific poll, but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.
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