Masks to be optional again at Detroit Three auto plants in Michigan
Masks will once again be optional at Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Chrysler-parent Stellantis facilities.
Each company will determine when the change will take effect at their locations, according to a news release Tuesday.
A task force made up of representatives of each of the Detroit Three automakers and the UAW made the decision to drop the mask mandate in certain locations following a meeting Monday, the release said. The rules will cover facilities with union and salaried employees.
The move comes a little more than a month after the task force opted to reimpose masking at facilities in southeast Michigan, where COVID-19 cases were then on the rise.
The situation has now changed for the better.
Numerous counties in Michigan with significant Detroit Three automaker facilities had been listed as high risk at that time based on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data tracker. On Tuesday, Genesee, Ingham, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair and Wayne counties were all listed as low risk; Washtenaw County was listed as medium risk.
If a facility is in a high-risk county as identified by the tracker, the task force "strongly recommends masking," the release said.
More: Artist Hubert Massey wants Stellantis sound barrier mural to showcase community
More: Ford recalls 2.9M vehicles for inability to shift into gear, risking crash
More: GM CFO: 'Everything's on the table' as GM partners with suppliers to hit EV targets.
"While masks will be optional, they will still be available for those who choose to wear one based on personal preference. The CDC recommends that those who are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease wear a mask or respirator that provides greater protection," the release said, noting that the task force recommends vaccines and booster shots to fight the coronavirus.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford, GM, Stellantis to make masks optional again at Michigan plants
