South West Illinois News

Illinois state Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) denounced what he calls Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s hypocrisy amid the state's mask mandate.

A photo was posted Nov. 7 of a maskless Pritzker toasting in an English pub with fellow Democrats Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Westchester) and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) on their trip to London for a United Nations climate summit, the Prairie State Wire reported.

“When you set these high standards for public health such as indoor mask requirements, and then engage in behavior contradicting those standards, it is problematic. People don't like hypocrites,” Jacobs told SW Illinois News.

Illinois' mask mandate states that restaurant and bar patrons may remove their masks indoors when actively eating and drinking.

Pritzker has given no timetable for when the mandate may be ended, saying he's examining a mix of factors to determine when it might be lifted, NBC5 Chicago reported.

“Illinois is one of only a handful of states with a mask mandate,” Jacobs told SW Illinois News. “What I find troubling about the governor's mandates is there is no explanation or rationale ever given for it. If you are going to place restrictions on people, there ought to be a compelling reason to do so. It has been self-evident for a long time that these restrictions are more about control than they are about public health.”  

Pritzker also has an estate in Wellington, Florida where his daughter Teddi has been spotted repeatedly out and about taking advantage of the state’s lax policies, according to the Prairie State Wire. That state began lifting mask mandates in June 2020.

“I would like to see the governor get rid of the indoor mask requirement,” Jacobs said. “Most of us have been vaccinated. The threat of COVID-19 is nowhere near what it was. It is time to bring back some normalcy to our daily lives.”

Certain types of masks, in particular fabric masks, offer negligible protection amid the pandemic, according to some academic studies.

A University of Illinois at Chicago study from April 2020 examined cloth masks only and found that "cloth masks and face coverings are likely to have limited impact on lowering COVID-19 transmission, because they have minimal ability to prevent the emission of small particles ... and offer limited personal protection with respect to small particle inhalation.” 

Jacobs said getting rid of masking is overdue.

“This all started with a two-week exercise to flatten the curve. It is time for our leaders to give up the power they amassed for themselves during this crisis. We need to get back to normal life. Most of the states in the country no longer have these mandates. It is time for Illinois to let people live their lives,” he said.