“So convenient for Pritzker to impose mask mandate on all school children, even those vaccinated, AFTER Lalapalooza ended,” former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas tweeted. | Facebook
“So convenient for Pritzker to impose mask mandate on all school children, even those vaccinated, AFTER Lalapalooza ended,” former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas tweeted. | Facebook
The former CEO of Chicago Public Schools isn't a fan of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's measures to fight COVID-19.
Pritzker recently implemented a mask mandate for all public and private schools and requires vaccinations for state employees who work at congregate settings, such as veterans' homes or long-term care facilities, effective Oct. 4, according to ABC7.
“So convenient for Pritzker to impose mask mandate on all school children, even those vaccinated, AFTER Lalapalooza ended,” former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas tweeted on Aug. 5. “No local school decision. No parent choice. So sad he felt the need to accommodate teachers unions by extending mandate to parochial & private schools.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends universal masking in schools, as does the American Academy of Pediatrics, but Daily Herald reported Pritzker as saying "far too few school districts" adhered to guidelines.
"My goal has always been to safely bring all kids back into the classroom and, crucially, keep them there," The Daily Herald quoted the governor. "Without these measures, we will likely see many more outbreaks. As governor, it's my duty to take immediate and urgent action to slow the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19. People are dying that don't have to die.”
The Prairie State is experiencing a bump in COVID-19 deaths, with public health officials reporting a 64% increase in just a week.
Chicago Sun-Times reported that 64 deaths were confirmed the first week of this month as compared to 39 fatalities in the final week of July.
Last month, Illinois reported its first day without a single COVID-19 fatality in more than a month.
Pritzker’s mask order doesn’t apply to the outdoors, ABC7 reported.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers said in a statement obtained by WCIA’s Mark Maxwell that it “continues to be thankful for Governor Pritzker’s steady leadership throughout the pandemic.
“As school resumes soon in most Illinois districts, we welcome his updated mask mandate,” the statement says. “With the large number of unvaccinated individuals and the rapid spread of the highly infectious Delta variant in Illinois, requiring masks in all schools is a prudent course of action.”
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