Friday, May 28, 2021

Supreme Court drops temperature check requirement, gives local courts options to dispense with masks

Another sign that the 'new normal' is coalescing around us: Yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court amended this March 17, 2020 Order, itself amended by this August 27, 2020 Order. This link will take you to the new Order; here is a link to the Court's press release about the Order.

The headline here gives away the gist of yesterday's Order -- temperature checks will not be required for courthouse entry but (as should come as no surprise) people with "flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, or shortness of breath (excluding such symptoms caused by chronic conditions)" are still asked to stay away.

With regard to masks, the rule still states:

Masks or face coverings should be worn at all times while in the courthouse unless the person is (1) otherwise instructed by court personnel; (2) under the age of 2; or (3) incapacitated, having trouble breathing, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance. If available, masks should be provided to individuals who do not have them.

However, the following sentence has been added:

Pursuant to current CDC guidance, courts may choose not to apply the provisions of this paragraph F concerning masking to persons who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and are two weeks past their final vaccine injection.

My guess is that Cook County will be the absolute last Illinois county to make that choice. But what do I know? As long as nobody fibs about their vaccination statuts, letting the unvaccinated go maskless should work just fine. *Sigh*

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No more excuses, Tim.