Illinois Sec. of State says employees must be vaccinated or face regular testing

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said starting Sept. 1, Secretary of State employees who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be required to submit to repeated COVID-19 testing.

“As the pandemic continues to surge nationally, we must do all we can to maintain the safety of our customers and employees and this is an important step in doing that,” said Secretary White. “I am proud of our staff for their hard work as we continue to provide essential services during this challenging time.” 

Employees will be required to show proof of their vaccination status. Employees who are not vaccinated will be required to submit the results of COVID-19 tests every two weeks. 

This announcement follows the implementation of White’s policy requiring all employees and customers at Driver Services facilities, Secretary of State Offices and the Illinois State Capitol Complex to wear masks while inside those locations.

White stressed that it is imperative for his facilities to remain open to serve the public to reduce the heavy customer volume caused by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year. White said reinstating the mask policy for employees and customers, as well as this new initiative will help achieve this goal.

White is reminding customers that his office extended expiration dates for driver’s licenses and ID cards until Jan. 1, 2022. As a result, expired documents will remain valid until Jan. 1, 2022, so customers do not need to rush into a facility. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits.