Macon Reporter

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) made a recent plea for members of the public to continue to wear masks.

As of Oct. 4, Illinois reported 301,541 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 8,791 deaths. The state has conducted over 5.88 million coronavirus tests.

“Wearing masks is not a Republican issue or Democrat issue – it’s a public health issue and a jobs issue. We must unite for the sake of our families, businesses, and our communities,” Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the IMA, said in a post to the IMA website. “We are facing the worst economic and health crisis in generations and every Illinoisan can wear a mask to help slow the spread of the pandemic. If we do not act strongly and quickly, we’ll see manufacturing facilities close and supply chain reductions that will impact consumers across the globe.”

The IMA statement alleges that compliance with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order for Illinoisans to wear face coverings “outside the home” has been “uneven,” and reminds of Pritzker’s threats to order recently-reopened businesses to close if positive test results continue to increase.

“We are now seeing a dramatic and troubling surge in COVID-19 cases in many states, including some of our neighboring states, as well as an uptick in Illinois, threatening to erase the hard-won gains we have made in battling the pandemic,” A. J. Wilhelmi, Illinois Health and Hospital Association president and CEO, said in the statement. “That’s why hospitals that are on the frontlines providing life-saving care and supporting the reopening of our economy urge everyone to take a simple and proven step to help stop the spread of the virus – wear a face mask. Together, by protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors, we will get through this.”