As of Friday, April 17, 2020, Governor J. B. Priztker ordered that U. S. and Illinois State Flags be lowered to Half-Staff immediately, until further notice, in honor of COVID-19 victims.
In April there is some confusion about Patriots’ Day vs Patriot Day and whether flags should be lowered.
- Patriots’ Day is the third Monday of April, April 20 this year. It commemorates the 1775 battle of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolution. This is not a half-staff flag day. This year, the Governor’s Proclamation will require flags be lowered in April.
- Patriot Day is September 11. It honors the memory of those who were injured or died during the radical Islamic terrorist attack in 2001. This is a National observance, and it is a half-staff day. Flags will be lowered on this day if the Governor’s order has been lifted by then.