SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Tuesday it is fully adopting updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) masking recommendations.
The CDC Tuesday recommended everyone, including fully-vaccinated people, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas with substantial and high transmission.
The CDC also recommended masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools.
“While data continues to show the effectiveness of the three COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the U.S., including against the Delta variant, we are still seeing the virus rapidly spread among the unvaccinated,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Cases and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 both continue to increase, overwhelmingly among the unvaccinated, but the risk is greater for everyone if we do not stop the ongoing spread of the virus and the Delta variant.
“We know masking can help prevent transmission of COVID-19 and its variants. Until more people are vaccinated, we join CDC in recommending everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask indoors in areas of substantial and high transmissions, and in K-12 schools.”
Areas of substantial transmission are considered by CDC to be those with 50 to 99 cases per 100,000 people over a 7-day period. Areas of high transmission are considered to be those with more than 100 cases per 100,000 people over a 7-day period.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Tazewell County was considered in the substantial transmission category, while Peoria and Woodford Counties remained in moderate transmission.
