With State Mandate Lifted, IL Colleges Split On COVID Vaccine Rules

ILLINOIS — Universities across Illinois are taking a variety of approaches to coronavirus vaccination after the state announced this week that vaccines would no longer be mandated for college students and employees.

“As we continue to move toward living with this virus, my administration will relax some requirements while continuing to protect the most vulnerable and ensuring we can get every federal dollar our residents are eligible to receive,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a news release Wednesday.

While vaccine requirements are over for universities, K-12 school personnel must still get vaccinated or test weekly.

Northwestern, Loyola, Columbia and Roosevelt universities all plan to move forward with a vaccine mandate, the Chicago Tribune reported, while the University of Illinois, the University of Chicago and DePaul University have yet to announce their decisions.

Northern Illinois University updated its website to reflect that its vaccine mandate has ended, as have the associated testing requirements, although vaccination is strongly encouraged. Masks are mandated in school clinics and when requested by faculty or individuals, but otherwise optional, according to the university.

Illinois’ seven-day average for coronavirus cases Friday was 4,724, according to the state health department. Cases appeared to be trending upward slightly after a dip earlier in the month.