Illinois Department of Public Health mask mandate continues in health care settings, hospitals, doctors’ offices
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Dr. Mary Kelleher, MD MPH, the Chief Medical Officer at Berks Community Health Center. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle vi/MediaNews Group via Getty ImagesWhile mask mandates for buses, planes and trains dropped nationally last week, due to a federal judge’s ruling, and Illinois followed suit after dropping masking requirements in most stores and schools earlier this year, masking requirements continue in public health facilities.
Health care settings are some of the last places in Illinois where everyone must continue to wear masks over their mouths and noses, with the state still requiring masks in hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis centers, physicians’ offices, dental offices and outpatient care centers in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Illinois is not currently considering lifting its mandate for hospitals and other health care settings the Chicago Tribune reported, despite other states like Iowa beginning to roll back their masking requirements.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 19,551 new cases of COVID-19 last week as cases continue to rise nationally due to the omicron subvariant BA.2. Additionally, a new study found vaccine effectiveness against hospitalizations due to the omicron variant wanes after three months, even with the initial booster dose.
Many patients in hospitals are immunocompromised, meaning they’re more at risk of severe illness if they catch COVID-19. Many people who go to hospitals also have undiagnosed conditions that may turn out to be COVID-19.
Protestors called for Chicago to reinstate its mask mandate on Sunday while the City of St. Louis Department of Health continues to strongly recommend wearing a mask.
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