The mask mandate in Illinois has been dropped as of Monday:
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this month announced the statewide mask requirement would end Feb. 28 if COVID metrics continued to decline, including in the days leading up to the anticipated shift.
Last week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the city would lift its mask mandate the same day - as long as declines in metrics still occurred.
“Based on key data, it looks as if the worst of the Omicron surge is behind us and we will be able to safely remove these emergency measures instituted to protect the health and safety of our residents,” Lightfoot said at a news conference Tuesday.
Along with rescinding its mask requirement, Chicago will also end its vaccination card mandate, which required people to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, entertainment venues, gyms and other facilities throughout the city.
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