Chicago Heights City Council Considers Amending Mask Regulations

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — The City of Chicago Heights' City Council will meet Wednesday for its regular meeting at the City Hall, located at 1601 Chicago Road, Chicago Heights.

The council will consider amending an ordinance previously placed to establish face mask regulations within the city, which came about during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Illinois moved into the fifth and final phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan, after 13 months of the phased coronavirus reopening was first announced. The move comes as the state's rate of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have fallen to their lowest level since the early weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in Illinois.

Just days after Illinois entered Phase 5, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that the state's rolling seven-day positivity rate on all tests conducted dipped below 1 percent, falling to .9 percent on Sunday. The positivity rate on individuals tested is at 1.2 percent.

If the city chooses to amend the ordinance, it would be following the lead of the state, which no longer requires masks to be worn in most situations — if a person is fully vaccinated.

State guidelines allow fully vaccinated Illinois residents to go maskless except on public transportation, in congregate living facilities and health care settings — or where required by individual businesses or institutions, including detention facilities, shelters and schools.

See the city council agenda for Wednesday's meeting below:

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