SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike says a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is working against Gov. JB Pritkzer’s hope of lifting the indoor mask mandate ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

According to WGEM, Ezike said it would be inappropriate to consider removing the indoor mask mandate, with hospitalizations on the rise.

“As we’ve moved indoors, we haven’t maybe taken our masks indoors with us. So a lot of unmasked indoor gatherings are likely part of the problem,” Ezike said. “Of course, COVID is so complicated. It’s been throwing us curveball after curveball.”

On Monday, the IDPH reported 2,060 new cases, with 1,300 people hospitalized with coronavirus complications statewide.

Illinois is averaging 25 deaths per day from COVID-19.

We’d like to do everything we can (by) vaccinating, getting boosted, wearing our masks, you know encouraging other people to get vaccinated. All of that will help decrease these horrible statistics that we keep reporting and watching every day,” Ezike said.