Although mask mandates in public places and schools in the state of Illinois will end on Monday, Chicago Public Schools officials are reminding parents that the facial-covering requirements will remain in effect in the city’s educational facilities.
The CPS mask mandate, part of an agreement reached between city officials and the Chicago Teachers Union earlier this year, will remain in effect for the time-being, according to a letter sent to parents on Sunday.
“To ensure the continued safety of our students and staff, CPS will continue to require universal masking in our schools and offices for now,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said.
Martinez said that CPS officials are “reviewing the latest masking guidelines” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which come amid rapid drops in both COVID cases and hospitalizations both in the state and across the country.
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Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that the state’s mandate for masking in indoor spaces would expire at the end of February, but had originally omitted schools from that decision.
After losing court battles in Sangamon County, an Illinois appellate court and the Illinois Supreme Court over whether he had the authority to continue enforcing the mask mandate in schools, Pritzker announced last week that educational facilities would no longer require students and faculty to wear facial-coverings, instead recommending the PPP items for those individuals.
CPS had announced in recent weeks that they intended to keep mask requirements in place regardless of the outcome of the court cases, saying that they were committed to keeping children and educators safe amid the pandemic.
