‘Let’s just try to get along’: DeKalb County reacts to Pritzker’s plan to lift indoor mask mandate

Whether relief or cautious optimism, DeKalb County residents’ reactions to Gov. JB Pritzker’s move to lift the statewide indoor mask mandate by Feb. 28 ran the gamut Wednesday.

DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes said the city of DeKalb will continue to follow Illinois Department of Public Health and DeKalb County Health Department guidelines and recommendations. He said he was happy to hear the news, especially going into year three of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It seems like … everyone is ready to move on with their lives,” Barnes said.

Pritzker confirmed Wednesday the state will lift its blanket indoor mask mandate by the end of the month, provided case numbers and hospitalizations continue to trend downward as expected by state health experts. Masks still will be required in certain health care and long-term care facility situations, along with tighter quarters with poor ventilation such as public transportation.

The lifting of the indoor mask mandate does not apply to schools, Pritzker said, adding that he hoped it would come weeks after Feb. 28.

[ Pritzker plans for Illinois’ indoor mask mandate lifted on Feb. 28, schools hopefully ‘weeks’ later ]

Barnes, who is fully vaccinated, said he contracted COVID-19 before receiving his booster shot and described the illness as “a really bad cold” compared to what his experience might have been were it not for the vaccine.

He said he believes everyone should get vaccinated from COVID-19 if they are able to.

“I think it’s irresponsible for people not to do that,” Barnes said.

Illinois has seen a continued decline in statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations, coming off a peak of 7,380 people in the hospital with COVID-19 on Jan. 12, down to 2,496 as of late Tuesday. The state is projecting a continued significant rate of decline, with Illinois getting down to a total of 500 people in the hospital with COVID-19 in just 10 days.

Bill McMahon, owner of The Lincoln Inn at Faranda’s in DeKalb, said he is optimistic about the governor’s announcement.

“It’s good to see numbers are going in the right direction, and I’m excited about that,” he said. “Last year, nobody was booking events or weddings. Now we’re starting to plan for six or nine months out. This decision will affect business for the rest of the year.”

At the start of last summer, McMahon said he threw out his old cloth masks and had to purchase more when the indoor mask mandate went back into effect in August.

“This time, I’m going to wash them and put them away,” McMahon said. “I won’t throw them out, because with this pandemic, you never know.”

DeKalb County Board Chairman John Frieders also said he thought the announcement was good news.

Despite the anticipated lifting of the mandate, Frieders said he thinks residents should still be concerned about COVID-19.

“Who knows what the new normal is going to be,” Frieders said. “Just seeing people’s faces and expressions and laughing and smiling – I think that’s something that everyone misses.”

Genoa Mayor Jonathon Brust said he doesn’t believe COVID-19 will be going away soon and thinks the governor’s plan to lift the mandate is a good one.

Brust said he believes mask requirements still make sense in high-risk settings, such as long-term care facilities. Overall, Brust said he has been of the opinion that people are adults and can make an informed decision about whether to get the vaccine or not.

“I just ask people to be respectful regardless,” Brust said. “Let’s just try to get along.”

Cortland Mayor Mark Pietrowski Jr. said he wasn’t surprised by the governor’s announcement Wednesday after California and New York also announced loosened mask mandates this week. He said people should move forward at their own comfort level.

He said he’s reminded of when federal mask guidance was lifted for vaccinated Americans in the summer 2021, which was later followed by a delta variant coronavirus wave.

“For me, it’s definitely a wait-and-see,” Pietrowski said. “I feel like we’ve been down this road before and it was kind of a false hope situation – and I hope that’s not the case this time around.”

He said he still encourages people to get vaccinated and boosted, and to remember that those younger than 5 are still not eligible.

Alex Nerad, executive director of The Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, said that come Feb. 28, masks will no longer be required inside the theater for events but will remain recommended for those unvaccinated, immunocompromised or at risk. The theater will continue to provide hand sanitizer and increase cleaning throughout the building.

“Our newly upgraded HVAC systems continue to provide higher air quality in the building through filtration and frequent air exchanges,” Nerad said.

Nerad said that he is looking forward to offering entertainment at the theater, which over the past two years underwent a $6.5 million expansion. He said the theater will continue to follow best practices, guidance and mandates as they evolve.

“The past two years have been devastating for the Egyptian Theatre and entertainment venues across the country,” he said. “We remain eager to focus on bringing joy to countless people every year of all ages through a variety of entertainment. Our priority will continue to be on the safety of every patron, performer, volunteer and staff member.”

Matt Binder, owner of JB’s World Famous Pizza and Lord Stanley’s of DeKalb LLC, said that the relaxation of the mask mandate is a big thing for local businesses.

“It gives us the feeling that maybe this is all close to being over,” Binder said. “It’s great to not have the worry of masks and mandates hanging over our heads.”

Binder said that business has recently picked up to where it’s busier than what it was before the pandemic.

“It’s been a tough road for everyone in this, but hopefully we can get back to business as normal,” he said. “With all of this [stuff] we had to go through, I’m excited that maybe we’re on the other side of it.”