 All healthcare workers, including nursing home
employees, all P-12 teachers and staff, as well as higher education
personnel and students will now be required to receive an initial
dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by September 19, 2021. The extended
deadline came at the request of the Illinois Health and Hospital
Association (IHA), as well as education leaders including the
Illinois Education Association (IEA), Illinois Federation of
Teachers (IFT), Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA),
and Illinois Principals Association (IPA), who best understand the
localized needs of hospitals and schools implementing their own
testing, vaccine and accountability protocols.
Entities continue to be permitted and encouraged to put in place
more stringent vaccination requirements. The Executive Order does
not prohibit any entity from implementing a requirement that
personnel, contractors, students or other visitors be fully
vaccinated without providing the alternative to test on a weekly
basis consistent with applicable law.
“Vaccines remain our strongest tool to protect ourselves from
COVID-19, the Delta variant, and most crucially, to maintain our
healthcare system’s ability to care for anyone who walks through
their doors in need of help,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “While
hospitals and schools move forward in good faith, this extension
ensures they are prepared to meet this requirement to better protect
our most vulnerable residents and children who are not yet eligible
to get vaccinated.”
“Even as our hospitals and schools are taking the necessary steps to
ensure compliance with the testing and accountability measures
mandated in Executive Order 2021-22, we recognize that some
institutions will need additional time in which to establish
procedures that will guarantee they are compliant,” said IDPH
Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Our primary goal is to make sure that
healthcare workers, education employees and students are protected,
along with their families and communities, and this extension will
help us achieve that goal.”
To combat the more contagious Delta variant, on August 26, 2021, the
Governor announced that all healthcare workers, P-12 teachers and
staff, higher education personnel and students would be required to
receive the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to regular testing
requirements. With Executive Order 2021-22, workers and students in
applicable settings must receive the first dose of a two-dose
vaccination series or a single-dose vaccination by September 19,
2021. The two-week extension will allow for more schools and
hospitals to implement the new accountability measures. The second
doses of either two-dose vaccine must be received by 30 days after
the first dose, as directed by vaccine providers.
"I deeply appreciate how hard schools are working to protect
students and educators while offering the highest quality in-person
learning experience," said State Superintendent of Education Dr.
Carmen I. Ayala. "Our school leaders said they needed more time to
plan and communicate, and I thank Gov. Pritzker and Dr. Ezike for
providing this extension. While testing is an option for all school
personnel, vaccination is the safest and most effective defense
against COVID-19. I encourage everyone who works with our students
to use this extra time to get vaccinated."
The extension will also allow for more time to put additional
testing protocols in place, given that individuals who are unable or
unwilling to receive the vaccine are required to get tested for
COVID-19 at least once per week to prevent further spread. IDPH and
the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) may require increased
testing in the event of positive cases. Healthcare professionals,
school workers, and higher education personnel and students who do
not provide proof of vaccination will be required to follow the
testing protocol in order to enter healthcare and educational
facilities.
“The Illinois Health and Hospital Association
applauds Governor Pritzker’s extension to the deadline by which the
testing requirement must be implemented,” said IHA President & CEO
A.J. Wilhelmi.
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“We share the Governor’s goal of vaccinating
healthcare workers against COVID-19 to protect themselves, their
families, patients and communities against severe disease, long-term
health consequences and possible death. Hospitals continue to be on
the frontlines fighting the pandemic during this latest surge of the
virus, while simultaneously continuing to make progress in
vaccinating healthcare workers. The Governor’s welcome announcement
will grant hospitals additional time to meet the testing
requirement.”
“Today’s announcement of the two-week deadline extension on the
governor’s Executive Order on vaccines is welcome news,” said
Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin. “We have
said all along that the best place for students to be is in the
classroom, as long as it’s safe. We believe the governor’s executive
order – which encourages all education employees from preschool
through college to be vaccinated and if they can’t, or won’t, then
to be tested weekly – will help keep schools open and all those who
work and learn inside them safe.”
"We welcome today's extension from Governor Pritzker. It is an
important step that will help educators and school staff work with
management to comply with the vaccine mandate,” said Illinois
Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery. “To be clear, we
believe that the best place for students to learn is in the
classroom, and that can best be accomplished by following the
science and public health guidelines and getting everyone vaccinated
who can be vaccinated. We continue to work toward that goal."
“To give school districts more time to logistically prepare for full
implementation of a COVID-19 vaccination and testing program, we
appreciate the Governor postponing the timeline by two weeks,” said
Illinois Association of School Administrators Executive Director Dr.
Brent Clark.
“With the increased risks posed to young people by the COVID-19
Delta variant, the IPA recognizes the critical role vaccinations and
testing play for young people to remain in-person at school and stay
healthy while doing so,” said Illinois Principals Association
Executive Director Dr. Jason Leahy. “Additionally, we appreciate the
Governor’s recognition of the time needed for school leaders,
teachers, and staff to set up the systems needed for these new
requirements.”
As of today, 8.4 million Illinoisans (66.2%) have received at least
one dose of the vaccine, and 6.5 million are fully vaccinated
(51.4%). Illinois continues to be a leader in the Midwest in
vaccinating its residents, with 61% of children between the ages or
12 and 17, 78.7% of adults and 93.7% of seniors vaccinated to date.
From the onset of the pandemic, the Pritzker administration has
implemented policies and guidelines in accordance with the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to slow the spread of the
virus and protect the health and safety of all residents. Building
on efforts to make access to the COVID-19 vaccine equitable and
accessible for frontline workers, the vaccine has been available for
healthcare and nursing home workers since December 15, 2020, and
open to teachers since January 25, 2021. In August, the
administration announced that employees at all state-run congregate
facilities would be required to be vaccinated. As of Monday, August
30, a statewide indoor mask mandate went into effect for all
Illinois residents, regardless of vaccination status, as COVID-19
cases and hospitalization rates continue to increase.
Vaccines remain critical to keeping communities safe and ending the
pandemic. All Illinois residents over the age of 12 are eligible to
receive the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost and proof of immigration
status is not required to receive the vaccine. To find a vaccination
center near you, visit vaccines.gov.
EXECUTIVE
ORDER 2021-22 - Pdf
[Office of the Governor JB Pritzker]
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