Illinois is not planning any additional restrictions or precautions yet in response to international concerns about another new COVID variant.
WMAY reports that Governor JB Pritzker says the state is “closely monitoring” the situation involving the variant known as “omicron.” And he says Illinois policy will be guided by the work of doctors, researchers, and public health professionals. Pritzker says vaccination and boosters remain the best defense against omicron and all strains of the virus.
As of Monday morning, there are no recorded cases of omicron in Illinois, but health experts say the variant will almost inevitably turn up here. President Joe Biden urged Americans yesterday not to panic about the new variant and said the federal government was making contingency plans with pharmaceutical companies if new vaccines are needed.