COVID-19 mask, vaccine rules loosened for Illinois health care facility workers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced some loosening of COVID-19 requirements for most health care facilities.
The new guidelines remove the weekly testing requirements for unvaccinated health care and long-term care facility workers. It also drops the state vaccine mandate for such workers
But a federal rule under which workers must be vaccinated at Medicare/Medicaid-certified facilities remains in effect and is not changed by the revision of the state guidelines.
The amended order also drops the requirement for masks in health care facilities – though masks are still recommended in health care facilities located in high-transmission areas.
The changes are in line with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and they go into effect right away.