Illinois drops mask mandate for healthcare facilities, Governor Pritzker announces

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The state of Illinois is changing its COVID-19 requirements at healthcare facilities, Governor JB Pritzker announced Monday.

Unvaccinated healthcare and long-term care workers no longer have to test weekly.

Also, face masks are no longer required in all healthcare facilities unless they are located in a high community transmission area.

"Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our health care workers and residents, Illinois has done better at keeping our people safe with vaccines, boosters, and masking, which puts us in a position to continue to scale back health care requirements in line with the CDC," said Governor JB Pritzker. "COVID-19 is on its way to becoming endemic, like the flu, but it still poses a real threat to our immunocompromised and disabled communities. Here in Illinois, we look out for one another-it's what defines us as Illinoisans. Let us continue to live up to those ideals by masking up and testing when we have symptoms and getting COVID-19 booster shots-as I recently did-so that we can protect our neighbors."

The amended order also removes the state-issued vaccine mandate for long-term care and healthcare employees, falling in line with CDC guidance.