Chicago companies are cited as the city is now enforcing a state-wide mask requirement for indoor spaces.
In the meantime, some worried parents at Chicago Public Schools say they would like to abandon distance learning for students.
Here’s What You Need To Know About The Illinois Coronavirus Pandemic Today:
Chicago company cited for mask requirement, City says
Chicago has enforced its mandate on interior masks, and in the past few days a number of companies have been cited for non-compliance, the city said.
According to the office of Chicago Mayor Lori Lighfoot, the Department of Business and Consumer Protection (BACP) issued 16 “notifications of correction” and 20 quotes to businesses between August 20 and August 29.
The city’s new mandate for interior masks went into effect on August 20. A similar mandate for the entire state began on Monday.
“As the cases in Chicago continue to increase, BACP is putting all companies on high alert and informing them that we will strictly enforce the mask mandate of the city of Chicago,” said a statement from the mayor’s office.
Some CPS parents are pushing for exemption from distance learning
Monday, the first day of class for the Chicago Public Schools students, was especially nerve-wracking for Christine Hernandez, whose 13-year-old son Christopher has the autism spectrum and attends a sensory school on the north side of town.
Hernandez said she hoped her son could go to school virtually because of her ongoing health problems and the rising COVID-19 cases being powered by the Delta variant.
“It’s scary that my son is going to see me personally because he knows he could take something home that could be fatal for me,” said the mother, noting that she was suffering from kidney failure and was about to have a transplant waiting.
Hernandez said she applied for CPS’s remote learning option, Virtual Academy, but was turned down. And she wasn’t alone.
According to the CPS, 758 people applied for the Virtual Academy, but 481 students were admitted.
Read more here.
Cook County Judge Overturns Ruling Preventing Unvaccinated Mother From Seeing Her Son
A Cook County judge who banned a divorced mother from visiting her 11-year-old son for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 overturned the original ruling on Monday and restored the mother’s parental rights.
Rebecca Firlit’s case caught nationwide attention earlier this month after Cook County Judge James Shapiro asked the 39-year-old mother if she was vaccinated on child support during an online hearing.
When she said no, the judge withdrew her right to see the boy until she was vaccinated. The judge, not Firlit’s ex-husband, raised the issue during the August 10 hearing.
Read more here.
Jesse Jackson in rehab facility, woman transferred from intensive care unit while the COVID fight continues
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and his wife Jacqueline are said to have made progress on their health about a week after being hospitalized for COVID-19, the family said.
Jacqueline Jackson, 77, has been in the hospital since Monday but was moved from the intensive care unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital to a “normal hospital room” where she continues to receive oxygen.
Jacqueline Jackson was not vaccinated, said long-time family spokesman Frank Watkins previously. He declined to elaborate on it.
Read more here.
Evidence, Tests, Religious Exemptions: What You Should Know About COVID Vaccine Mandates
Since both Illinois and Chicago prescribe COVID vaccines for specific groups, what are the requirements and what do you need to know?
Here’s a breakdown of what we know so far.
Illinois Mask Requirement: New indoor mask requirement goes into effect Monday
Illinois’ reintroduced mask mandate goes into effect Monday, requiring residents over 2 years to wear face coverings indoors.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker reissued the mask mandate for the state Thursday, saying the state is “running out of time with our hospitals running out of beds.”
The new guidelines for inner masks, similar to mandates already issued in Cook County and Chicago, require face coverings indoors regardless of COVID vaccination status.
“Illinois will join several other states that have reintroduced nationwide mask requirements for indoor spaces regardless of vaccination status,” said Pritzker in his announcement. “Masks work. Period.”
He noted that while face coverings are not required outdoors, “masks are highly recommended in crowded outdoor settings such as festivals and concerts, and during activities that require close contact with unvaccinated people”.
Complete Guide to the Illinois Inner Mask Mandate.
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