JJC : New Mandate Requires Vaccines Or Routine Testing For JJC Students And Employees

Press release from Joliet Junior College:

Aug 26, 2021

In response to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s new vaccine mandate, all Joliet Junior College personnel and students are required to be vaccinated or take routine COVID tests, effective Sept. 5. 

The governor’s announcement on Aug. 26 called for a new indoor statewide mask mandate and vaccine requirements for P-12 teachers and staff, higher education personnel, higher education students, and healthcare workers in settings like hospitals, nursing homes, urgent care facilities and physician's offices. 

“The Emergency Response Resource Group met immediately after the press conference and is working to determine how the college will manage the vaccine mandate,” said JJC President Dr. Judy Mitchell. “We understand this is a major shift and are taking into account the logistics of this mandate, as well as personal medical and/or religious reasons why individuals have not been vaccinated to date. I ask for your patience as we work through these new regulations.”

Watch: Dr. Mitchell’s Announcement

Vaccine requirements go into effect on Sept. 5, and per the governor’s announcement, those who remain unvaccinated after that date will be required to take routine COVID tests. 

Mitchell said the college is working diligently to develop a framework that meets the state’s mandate and supports the needs of the JJC community. Details will be communicated as they become finalized and made available on the college’s COVID FAQ page. 

Fall classes began this week at JJC, with a combination of in person, online and hybrid courses. Since last year, all students, employees and visitors to campus have been required to wear face masks and pass through hands-free temperature screenings when entering buildings. Deep cleaning measures take place routinely, and COVID testing has been available on site since the summer.

For media inquiries, contact Communications and Media Coordinator Scott Harvey at sharvey@jjc.edu. 

This press release was produced by Joliet Junior College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.