Pritzker announced, Thursday morning, beginning Monday all Illinoisans two years old and older will be required to wear a mask indoors regardless of their vaccination status. He cited the state’s increasing COVID-19 cases as well as the rapidly spreading Delta variant as reasons for the order.
However, hours after that announcement, Kahl took to his Facebook page and wrote the city will not be enforcing the mandate but rather will allow residents to, “decide the best course of action for their health and their livelihoods.”
It’s a similar decision the city made in May 2020.
“We’ve been very consistent in our position and that’s the ability of people and members of our business community to make their own decisions,” Kahl said. “At the end of the day, I think people are just tired. We feel like we have an obligation to our residents to ensure that they have individual freedoms.”
He said the city council, along with himself, feel confident that residents should have a say in how they choose to protect themselves. He said he believes these decisions should be made at the local level.
“The virus is real, you know protect yourself as you see fit and be respectful of others and let them make their own decisions about their own health,” Kahl said. “Who best to decide about your own health and the health of your family than yourself?”
