SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WREX) â€� Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has made his first public comments since a group of Illinois lawmakers voted against a new push to extend the school mask mandate.Ìý
Speaking during an unrelated news conference Wednesday, the governor says students should still be wearing masks in schools.Ìý
"The executive order requiring masks is still in place," Gov. Pritzker said. "We still have a mask requirement in the state of Illinois for schools."
The governor says all schools who were not included in a lawsuit filed in central Illinois should still require masks.Ìý
On Feb. 4th, a judge in Sangamon County ruled against Governor Pritzker’s mask mandate in schools. The ruling allowed schools involved in the lawsuit to make their own decisions on requiring masks. A decision is still needed on the lawsuit by the appellate court.Ìý
However, several school districts across the state, including in southern Illinois, have already made masks optional.Ìý
One part of the ruling states, ""Any non-named Plaintiffs and School Districts throughout this State may govern themselves accordingly."
RELATED: More local schools make masks optional
The governor says the emergency rule to keep masks in schools was procedural.ÌýThe Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules objected to the rule, however.Ìý
There's no word on when the appellate court will make its decision regarding the lawsuit to end the mask mandate for schools.Ìý
The state's indoor mask mandate is set to come to an end on Feb. 28, the governor announced last week. However, masks will still be required in schools (pending the appellate court's ruling). Masks will still be required in some other locations as well, such as federal buildings and transportation.
