Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker on Monday signed a COVID-19 amendment into law that bars employees from using moral beliefs as reason to be exempted from vaccine mandates in the workplace. “Masks, vaccines, and testing requirements are lifesaving measures that keep our workplaces and communities safe,” Pritzker said in a statement. The decision relates to a preexisting Illinois law, titled the Health Care Right of Conscience Act which was adopted in 1998. The law was intended to protect physicians from repercussions for refusing to carry out procedures such as abortions because of their moral or religious beliefs. “People and organizations hold different beliefs about whether certain health care services are morally acceptable,” the law states, adding that the public policy of Illinois state is “to respect and protect the right of conscience of all persons” for making such decisions. Pritzker, a Democrat, said of his decision to sign the new …