Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced Thursday that residents will be required to wear masks in public in indoor spaces.
The requirement is part of the state’s modified stay-at-home order which will begin May 1.
The governor is requiring everyone above the age of two, to wear a face-covering in public, for all indoor spaces, like stores.
The order states:
Beginning on May 1, individuals will be required to wear a face-covering or a mask when in a public place where they can’t maintain a six-foot social distance. Face-coverings will be required in public indoor spaces, such as stores. This new requirement applies to all individuals over the age of two who are able to medically tolerate a face-covering or a mask.
Additional essential business have been added as well as the opening of some outdoor recreational space. Full list and details here.
It is slated to last until May 31.
The Center for Disease Control advises a face covering should:
- fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
- be secured with ties or ear loops
- include multiple layers of fabric
- allow for breathing without restriction
- be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape
Several suburbs have a similar face-covering ordinance in effect right now including Cicero, Morton Grove and Skokie. Several more will enact similar rules by the end of this week.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Surgeon General tweeted a how-to video showing how people could easily make a mask at home.
For children under 2, the Centers for Disease Control said infants have such small airways, putting a mask on could do more harm than good.
Doctors said on children younger than 2-years-old, a mask could suffocate them.
Instead, keep the little ones out of public settings and have family members wear a mask around the baby. Wash your hands often.
