On April 29, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker implemented a required mask policy in all public places including restaurants, stores, and places where large groups of people can be present. Despite the requirement, some Illinoisans feel that they are sick of the mask mandate.

“I know how badly we want our normal lives back,” Pritzker said in a press conference on Sept. 10. “But  this is the part where we must understand that the sacrifices we’ve made as a state to avoid a worst case scenario is working and we need to keep going a little while longer to finish the job.”

Illinois reported 1,466 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in DuPage County and 13,044 in Will County as of Sept. 20, according to DuPage County Health Department. Since the mask mandate on April 29, masks are required to receive any sort of service and are required to enter a place in which business is conducted.

“ I’m happy to wear a mask in exchange for not having to sit in my house all the time and for small businesses and big to be in business,” said restaurant patron Barb Hogan in an interview by ABC 7 reporter Jessica D’Onofrio.  “I am more than happy to do that.” 

A fierce debate over wearing masks began as state mandates were out in place. Some Americans are saying that mask mandates are a violation of their constitutional rights. They will do just about anything to get into stores such as going as far as tampering with disability laws.

“ If you are taking advantage of legislation meant to protect people with disabilities when you don’t actually have any sort of disability because you disagree with the ideas behind masks, you’re really hurting the disabled population and turning the ADA into a joke,”  disabled resident of Omaha, Nebraska Abrea Hensley interviewed by Fox 42 reporter Sydnie Holzfaster.

As case numbers rise in Florida and New York remain hotspots.  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on July 23 that he refuses to implement a statewide mandate, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a mask mandate for the state requiring masks in public spaces on April 15.

“The nation needs more of that consistency, the goal is to universally be wearing masks,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview by AMA news editor Kevin O’Reily on Aug. 4. 

In the U.S, beaches and bars remain packed and groups such as the “Anti maskers,” are still in full force during the pandemic. 

“It’s a violation of my freedom, and then also, I don’t think they work,” said Amy a 48-year-old mother of two from Ohio. When interviewed by Emily Stewart on Aug. 7, Amy said she became fearful when the government started recommending people to wear a mask back on April 3.

As people ignore government guidelines and doctors and scientists struggle to find an answers, doctors strongly advise all people around the world to wear a mask to help stop the spread.  

“When you wear a mask, you set an example in society for everyone,” Sutter Infusion Center nurse Stacey Mathieu said.