Tesla, Inc. has joined the bandwagon of reinforcing mask mandates amidst the resurgence of COVID-19 cases and the prevalence of the highly contagious Delta variant. The California-based company has reportedly reinforced the mask-wearing requirement at its Nevada Gigafactory in Reno, starting Monday.
Initially, using a mask was only mandatory for unvaccinated workers inside the plant, but the new dictum urges vaccinated workers to wear masks as well.
As per the statistics provided by Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Nevada reported over 26,000 COVID-19 cases the previous month, with the death toll reaching 298. The center also projects that nearly 47 percent of the population of the state has been vaccinated.
In 2020, Tesla had defied the lockdown of Alameda County and kept its Fremont car plant open. CEO Elon Musk had threatened to move operations out of California and sued the county in March last year.
California updated its mask regulations on 3rd August 2021, mandating every individual aged 2 years and above, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear a mask in indoor public settings.
Stephen F. Sisolak, the Governor of Nevada had revived the mask mandate of the state late in July 2021, just before the new guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People in Nevada are required to wear face masks indoors in public and in counties having ‘substantial or high transmission’. This includes Washoe, where Reno has located as well as Clark, where Las Vegas is located.
The Nevada government has also stated that mask mandates may be imposed this week in the county where the Tesla factory is situated if transmission rates don’t decline.
Tesla’s move follows the trend set by its rivals like Ford Motor Co. and General Motors which have made masks mandatory for employees at all offices, factories, and warehouses.
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