Will County Gazette

Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico argues that data supports his push to end the state’s mask mandate.

“Illinois is the only Midwestern state that currently requires a mask and yet as of today, we are no better off than the surrounding states,” Chirico posted on Facebook. “In my view, based on the CDC information and the minimal, if any, impact of COVID mitigation strategies on actual results, it’s time to drop the mask mandate in Illinois.”

Chirico stresses he’s not anti-vaccine, and is still encouraging everyone who is willing to get vaccinated as soon as possible. But masking needs to go, he says.  

Naperville, Ill. Mayor Steve Chirico | facebook.com/SteveChirico1

“Illinois is the only state in the Midwest and one of only six states total that still has a mask mandate in place," he added. “What I find interesting are the Midwestern states. We all have a similar climate, and the states in our region are all larger (population) states. That said, each state has a very different COVID mitigation strategy. What I find interesting is that we are all currently in a very similar COVID transmission status.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker moved in August to reinstate his mask mandate, but in recent weeks the number of COVID cases have been on the rise and the vast majority of the state’s 102 counties are presently under a “high risk” designation with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommending residents wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

In defending the state’s mandate, Dr. Jennifer Seo, chief medical officer with the Chicago Department of Public Health, stresses the U.S. is seeing higher numbers of cases in areas where the weather is colder. She noted Michigan and Minnesota, which don't have mask mandates, have the highest rates of COVID infections.

Overall, Illinois is now in its 19th month of mask mandates after Pritzker first ordered the restrictions by invoking the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.

Pritzker’s mask mandates have come despite nationally recognized infectious disease expert and former University of Illinois at Chicago professor Lisa Brosseau, ScD, last year co-authoring an opinion piece that concluded cloth masks offer no protection from the virus.

“At the end of the day, cloth masks in my opinion don’t work in any form,” Brosseau told Infection Control Today. “They aren’t very good at source control, except for maybe very large particles. And they should not be used in healthcare settings for a number of reasons. Surgical masks, I decided, based on the literature, might have a role as source control for people who have symptoms. They shouldn’t be something you’d wear if you have symptoms going out into the public because you shouldn’t be going out into the public service.”