“We must take a targeted approach where we engage local leaders, empower individuals and provide support for local entities to make the best decisions for their community and families,” Sen. Darren Bailey said of the pandemic. | Provided
“We must take a targeted approach where we engage local leaders, empower individuals and provide support for local entities to make the best decisions for their community and families,” Sen. Darren Bailey said of the pandemic. | Provided
Veteran Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey argues its clear Gov. J.B. Pritzker's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic is all wrong for Illinois.
Bailey reasons that all of Pritzker’s ongoing mandates designed to slow the spread of the virus really just serve to show how out-of-touch he is with the people he’s supposed to be representing.
“The ‘mandate candidate’ has proven he’s unwilling to listen and lead,” Bailey, who recently launched his campaign for governor, posted on Twitter.
“Unwilling to engage the people and legislature to take targeted approaches, support local control, and find solutions that do not decimate our economy, hurt our children or diminish freedoms,” Bailey added of Pritzker, offering up his recent indoor masking mandate for all residents over the age of 2 and another for all public and private school students as prime examples.
“We are a diverse state and one-size-fits-all approaches and tyrannical, unilateral mandates from a liberal governor do not work,” he added. “We must take a targeted approach where we engage local leaders, empower individuals and provide support for local entities to make the best decisions for their community and families.”
Under the guidelines of the governor’s plan, workers in mandated groups, such as healthcare workers, teachers and higher education students, were required to have received at least one dose of the vaccination by Sept. 5, NBC5 Chicago reported, with the second shot coming within 30 days after that.
Those who do not receive the vaccine or opt out for medical reasons or a religious exemption must follow a weekly testing schedule in schools and healthcare facilities.
"Healthcare, school workers, and higher education personnel and students attending in-person classes who do not provide proof of vaccination will be prevented from entering healthcare and educational facilities unless they follow the required testing protocol," the state's latest guidance says.
Pritzker told NBC5 Chicago that the delta variant "is increasingly causing concern for our hospital capacity in communities across Illinois," largely fueling some of his latest moves.
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