Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker Wednesday announced a mask mandate for all students and staff in preschool through 12 grade effective immediately. With cases continuing to rise and the new Delta variant spreading, the governor is requiring teachers and students to wear a mask at school regardless of their vaccination status. The mask mandate also applies to indoor school sports and daycare centers. It was also announced that the Illinois Department of Public Health is expanding access to free COVID-19 testing to all K-12 public schools across the state outside of Chicago to help ensure schools can more safely resume in-person learning in the fall. Masks are also now required at all long term care facilities in the state and certain Illinois state employees will have to be vaccinated by October 4th. Workers at state veterans homes, correctional facilities, developmental centers and psychiatric hospitals are now required to get the shots.