Illinois requires educators, health workers to get vaccine

By SOPHIA TAREEN
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois will require all educators from kindergarten through college and health care workers to get COVID-19 vaccines or submit to weekly testing. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday also announced a fresh statewide mandate on wearing masks indoors in response to a spike in cases, particularly in southern Illinois. Pritzker says hospital systems are becoming overwhelmed in areas with low vaccinations rates and where there are fewer hospitals. The rules overlap in some places, for instance masks are already required in schools and Chicago schools require teacher vaccines. The mask order begins Monday and applies to everyone over age 2, regardless of vaccination status.