Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the end of mask mandates for many indoor spaces in her city, saying the mandates will end next week.
QUICK FACTS:
- According to The Gateway Pundit, schools are not on the list of facilities that will no longer require masking indoors.
- In addition to places like bars and restaurants not rewiring masks, there will also be no requirement for proof of vaccination, according to recent reports.
- Health officials are pointing to lower hospitalization rates as the reason for easing regulations, with average hospitalizations dropping from around 300 to 27.
- Chicago Public Schools made their official announcement on Tuesday that they will continue to require masks.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE MANDATE CHANGE:
- “We have made great progress in recent weeks against this virus, and we do not want to jeopardize that progress by moving too quickly,” the school district said in a statement according to Fox News.
- “By adjusting our mitigation measures, based on these metrics, we’ve been able to protect and save the lives of our residents, as well as prevent our healthcare system from collapsing,” Lightfoot said according to the Gateway Pundit.
BACKGROUND:
- Lightfoot said that the COVID-19 cases are continuing to trend in the right direction and Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that the stat would lift its order in March, according to Newsmax.
- According to The Associated Press, the governor is citing the usefulness of vaccines and masks as the reason for the plummeting hospitalizations.
