The age of forced mask wearing is coming to an end. And people do not seem to have any misgivings about moving past it. The photo above, taken May 25th at a North Side fitness center, shows people working out in close proximity without concern.
Just days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased their guidance regarding masks, Gov. JB Pritzker updated the statewide mask mandate in Illinois. He lifted the requirement for a face covering in most cases when people have been fully vaccinated.
“With public health experts now saying fully vaccinated people can safely remove their masks in most settings, I’m pleased to follow the science and align Illinois’ policies with the CDC’s guidance. I also support the choice of individuals and businesses to continue to mask out of an abundance of caution as this pandemic isn’t over yet,” Pritzker said in a statement Monday afternoon.
It is doubtful COVID-19 was ever as big a deal as it was made out to be. The official Illinois Department of Public Health statistics have consistently shown a 98% recovery rate.
It is also doubtful that the masks did anything. Based on first hand accounts known to Practical Chicago it can be said that people got COVID even if they were wearing masks, washing their hands frequently, staying inside and social distancing.
Political leaders clearly have not taken COVID seriously. Mayor Lori Lightfoot allowed thousands of George Floyd protesters into the streets. Even if they were following COVID safety guidelines that would be a risky proposition at the height of a bonafide contagious outbreak. But they were not following COVID safety guidelines and no police were dispatched to send them home.
At the height of the pandemic Lightfoot was also caught going out to get a haircut while the rest of us were forced to stay home. She defended it by saying, “I’m the public face of this city. I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye.”
So it is easy to understand people now taking their masks off for good without a second thought.
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https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/05/18/illinois-mask-mandate-fully-vaccinated-cdc-guidelines/