ISACo

On July 27, 2021, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced it is fully adopting updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) masking recommendations to protect against COVID-19 and the Delta variant. CDC recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear a mask in public indoor setting in areas with substantial and high transmission. CDC is also recommending universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.

On July 27, 2021, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim announced the issuance of a health advisory for Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA) in accordance with Illinois groundwater regulations. Health advisories are issued when there is detection of a chemical substance(s) harmful to human health for which no numeric groundwater standard(s) exists, and resampling confirms the presence in a community water supply well (35 Ill. Adm. Code 620.605).

On Friday, July 23, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker extended the Disaster Proclamation through August 21. Of note, while the Proclamation did not include the remote meeting authority provision found within previous Proclamations, there may still be authority to hold remote meetings pursuant to P.A. 101-0640. ISACo recommends that counties consult with their state's attorney to clarify what is or is not permitted.

On June 25, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker issued a Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation to extend the disaster declaration through July 24, 2021. This new Proclamation permits public meetings to be held remotely throughout the covered period. The Proclamation can be read by clicking on the title of this post.

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation declaring June 19, Juneteenth, an official state holiday. To commemorate the abolition of slavery throughout the United States and its territories in 1865, Juneteenth will be recognized as National Freedom Day in Illinois.