About face? Pritzker to end school mask edict Monday — after CDC eases guidelines and court denies appeal

Gov. J.B. Pritzker puts away his face mask before delivering his daily Illinois coronavirus update at the Thompson Center in April of 2020. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file.

All schools in Illinois will be able to go mask-optional if they wish on Monday, joining most other indoor public settings across the state.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said late Friday he will halt his embattled school mask mandate on Monday — the same day he is lifting the COVID-19 requirement in other areas. The governor tweeted out the decision, citing new guidelines the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday easing its recommendations on face coverings as the Omicron surge ebbs across the nation.