Pritzker Stands By Imposition of Statewide Mask Mandate
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois Gov. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he has no real second thoughts about the decisions he’s made to fight the pandemic.
“If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have made some changes,” among them implementing a statewide mask order earlier, Pritzker told Crain’s Chicago Business late Monday, exactly a year after the state’s first reported COVID death. Of all government restrictions, “it’s clear masks have done the most” to slow the infection rate.
“Overall, Illinois has done well,” Pritzker added. “The people of Illinois have stood up to this situation…. Projections are we could have had many, many more deaths if we hadn’t done what we did.”
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike hinted Monday that the governor would be releasing a plan later this week outlining when the state could move to its next reopening phase.
