NewsColony

NewsColony Chicago cloth mask drive gets underway ahead of new statewide face covering requirements CHICAGO (WLS) — In an effort to help those who might not otherwise have access to face coverings, which will soon be required in the state, a citywide cloth mask drive kicked off Saturday. The state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are already recommending people wear a cloth mask in public when social distancing can’t be maintained. And starting Friday in Illinois, it will be mandatory. Gov. JB Pritzker plans to include that requirement in his modified stay-at-home order, saying all residents will need a face-covering or mask in public when they cannot maintain 6 feet of social distance. Officials say masks can help prevent respiratory droplets from spreading when infected people sneeze, cough or talk. Particularly, the masks can help prevent spread from people who are sick and do not realize it. The city of Chicago wants to make sure the most vulnerable residents ha...