ILLINOIS (WAND) - Gov. JB Pritzker announced Illinois will require all P-12 schools and day cares to require masks, along with other mitigation measures as the delta variant of COVID-19 spreads. 

The state made this announcement to protect the 1.8 million unvaccinated children under 12 years old and their families, the governor said. The school masks requirement is effective immediately. It also applies to students and coaches who are part of indoor sports or other activities.

The governor's office noted Wednesday a number of school districts have not yet adopted CDC masking guidance, which called for universal masking of people in schools, regardless of vaccination status.

The state is also mandating universal masking at private long-term care facilities in Illinois and is strongly encouraging owners of private facilities to join the state in adopting requirements for vaccines. Vaccinations for all state employees at congregate facilities, veterans' homes and correctional facilities will be required by Oct. 4, and state leaders said the unions representing these employees have been informed of the state's intention to move forward with this requirement. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health had previously said the state would be "fully adopting" the latest CDC guidance, which called on masks to be worn indoors again by fully vaccinated people in places that have "substantial" or "high" transmission.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 96 of Illinois' 102 counties were at those higher transmission levels as of Monday. To be "substantial," a county has to be reporting 50 to 100 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period or a positivity rate of 8 percent to 10 percent. "High" transmission counties are reporting 100 cases or more per 100,000 or have a positivity rate of 10 percent or higher. 

State leaders said COVID-19 cases have soared by a factor of nearly 10 after metrics hit their lowest points earlier in the summer  of 2021. In addition, hospitalizations and ICU rates have more than doubled in a month, and the number of COVID-19 patients needing a ventilator has grown nearly 2.5 times over since July 16. 

In June, state leaders said 96 percent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated. The majority of the hospitalizations involved people under 60 years old. 

“Given our current trajectory in hospitalizations and ICU usage, we have a limited amount of time right now to stave off the highest peaks of this surge going into the fall,” said Pritzker. “To combat the delta variant, Illinois is taking three key steps to protect our state’s 1.8 million unvaccinated children under 12 and their families, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, and those highly vulnerable people who rely upon state employees for their daily care. I also encourage every Illinoisan who is eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as millions of their neighbors already have. This vaccine is safe, effective, and essentially eliminates the risk of hospitalization and death even from the Delta variant. In short, it’s the best tool we have.”

“Vaccination is the best way we can prevent further spread, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19 and the Delta variant,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Data show that the vaccines are preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, and are effective against the Delta variant. We have the tools to turn the tide of another wave, but we need people to use them.”

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