The 21st spoke with Illinois Director of Public Health Ngozi Ezike about the new masking guidelines, vaccination rates and the state’s path to reopening. 

In 2020, proms were cancelled across the country because of the pandemic. In 2021, proms are back but with masks and social distancing rules. The 21st spoke to three high school students from Illinois about their proms.

There are looming questions that remain about returning to the office: has the pandemic forever changed how we think about the workplace? To speak more about how the American workplace has evolved because of the COVID pandemic, The 21st was joined by the deputy managing editor at The Atlantic and the ounder and CEO of Bunker Labs in Chicago.

Illinois companies are beginning to have employees return to in-person work. The 21st spoke to two journalists who’ve been covering return-to-work issues in Illinois about shifting back into the office.

Summer is just around the corner, and for a lot of kids that means camp is calling their names. But what’s that going to look like during the COVID-19 pandemic? The 21st spoke to camp directors in Illinois to talk more about what precautions they'll be taking to ensure the safety of the children.