Pritzker Adjusts Pointless Covid Mitigations in Healthcare Facilities; Chicago Requiring Vaccination for Early-Voting Officials

Two items of interest to report:

First, in an act of feigned beneficence, Governor of Illinois J.B. Pritzker has decided to “update” his masking, testing, and covid vaccination requirements for healthcare and long-term care facilities. The CMS federal mandate is still in place, where applicable, as are the Governor’s testing and vaccination rules for employees of state-owned congregate facilities. (Read: Democrats are holding on until the bitter end.)

Pritzker is also finally able to admit covid’s endemicity. Too bad he’s in denial about it having been endemic for some time now.

Although Pritzker makes it seem like this announcement was his idea, based on Illinoisans good behavior & recent developments with “The Science,” it appears he was facing some pressure from at least one professional organization.

The Illinois State Dental Society said last week it sent Pritzker a letter about lifting covid mitigation requirements in the state’s dental offices. You can read their press release here. I requested a copy of the letter from the Governor’s office earlier today - before his announcement this afternoon - but haven’t yet received it. Will post when I do.

On one hand, it’s mildly surprising that Pritzker would finally back off these useless mitigations just as respiratory virus season is beginning. On the other hand, November 8th is coming, and he wants people to think of him as a hero instead of as the villain he’s been.

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Second, is it true that Chicago is requiring election judges to be vaccinated?

Not quite.

According to Max Bever, Director of Public Information at the Chicago Board of Elections, “There is no vaccination requirement or mask mandate to serve as an Election Judge or Coordinator on Election Day in Chicago.”

There is a vax requirement, however, if you want to serve as an Early Voting Officials at one of the city’s 50+ early voting sites. Those are two-week paid positions and *must* comply with the same policy the Board of Elections has for staff. Click here for application.

This seems illegal-ish to me, especially if no medical or religious exemptions are honored. Also appears biased against the city’s Black and Latinx residents, given vaccination rates among those groups.

I defer to lawyers, of course, and hope the Chicago BOE will change the policy for all staff. My guess is, given J.B.’s healthcare announcement today, the requirement will soon go away.