Illinois Mask Mandate: Do You Still Need to Wear a Mask in Certain Places? Here's What to Know

For some time, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask mandate, set to expire May 3, had required all states and the Transportation Security Administration to enforce mask wearing on all public transportation, in public transportation hubs and while traveling by airplane.

But when a Florida judge earlier this month voided that federal travel mask mandate, saying in a ruling that the CDC failed to justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking procedures, confusion across the country arose.

Shortly afterwards, a patchwork of COVID mask restrictions across Illinois began to crop up, with some public transit saying they would still enforce mask wearing, while others would not.

And, it remained unclear whether or not masks would be required at O'Hare and Midway International Airports.

That's partly because Illinois is currently under an Executive Order from Governor J.B. Pritzker that requires face mask wearing in certain indoor settings.

However, the order has been modified several times, including after the judge's recent ruling.

Here's what the order currently says, and where in Illinois you are still required to wear a mask indoors.

Do I Need to Wear a Mask in Illinois While on Public Transportation?

Face masks are no longer required on public transportation in Illinois.

That includes public transit like the Amtrak, the Metra and the CTA, as well as public transportation hubs like Chicago Union Station, and on rideshares like Lyft and Uber.

While masks were previously required in Illinois on public transportation and public transportation hubs, this language was recently removed from the state's Executive Order to align with the new federal guidance.

Note that while public transit may no longer require mask wearing, some agencies may still recommend it. For instance, Metra says, "Masks are welcome but not required while traveling on Metra trains. They remain an important preventive measure against COVID-19."

Do I Need to Wear a Mask in Illinois While at the Airport?

Similarly, face masks are no longer required at airports in Illinois.

The Chicago Aviation Department has stated that it defers to TSA when enforcing guidelines at O'Hare and Midway International Airports.

And, since the CDC mask mandate was struck down by a federal judge, TSA said it will not be enforcing wearing masks at airports.

While masks were previously required in Illinois at public transportation hubs like airports, this language was recently removed from the state's Executive Order to align with the new federal guidance.

Do I Need to Wear a Mask on Any Airlines?

Most major U.S. airliners and some international ones have dropped their mask requirement to also align with the new federal guidance.

Here's a breakdown of more than a dozen airlines, and what their masks requirements are.

Do I Need to Wear a Mask in K-12 Schools or Daycares in Illinois?

Masks indoors were previously required by the state's Executive Order at schools, daycares, and a number of other public indoor settings.

However, on Feb. 28, 2022, Gov. Pritzker lifted that requirement from the Order.

This was not related to the CDC's travel mask mandate, and occurred prior to a judge striking that down.

Are Masks Required Anywhere in Illinois?

According to Gov. Pritzker's Executive Order, there are only two locations the state is requiring you to wear a mask indoors:

• Inside of health care settings, like doctors offices, nursing homes and hospitals
• Inside of congregate facilities, such as correctional facilities, jails, prisons and homeless shelters

While those are the only two settings the state requires wearing masks indoors, "schools districts and private businesses can continue to require mask wearing at their discretion."

What is the Mask Guidance in Illinois Counties With High Community Transmission?

According to the CDC, mask wearing to protect against COVID may be recommended based on the level of community transmission where you live.

If you are in an area where community COVID transmission is "low", mask wearing is only recommended if you've tested positive or are exhibiting symptoms.

In areas where the community COVID spread is "medium", the CDC urges that you "consider wearing a face mask in indoor public settings where vaccine status is not known," in addition to if you've tested positive, are exhibiting symptoms, or are high risk for severe illness.

In areas where community COVID transmission is "high," the recommendation is to wear a mask indoors in public, in addition to if you've tested positive, are exhibiting symptoms, or are high risk for severe illness.

Which Counties in Illinois Have Medium or High COVID Transmission?

As of April 29, five Illinois counties are listed under the CDC's "medium" transmission risk level, the second-highest level on the CDC's scale:

• Lake
• DuPage
• Champaign
• McLean
• Logan

You can track your neighborhood's community spread using the CDC's community transmission tool here.