UAW to reinstate mask for U.S. workers

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WASHINGTON, Aug 3 - Detroit's Big Three automakers and the United Auto Workers union announced on Tuesday that they would reinstate the wearing of masks in all U.S. plants, offices and warehouses, regardless of vaccination status, beginning with Wednesday.

General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Stellantis NV said in a joint statement with the union the move is in response to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s new “COVID 19” recommendation for masks for fully vaccinated people related to the Delta variant.

The CDC said last week that fully vaccinated people should wear masks indoors in public spaces in areas with substantial or high COVID-19 community transmission rates. The CDC said on Monday that almost 80% of U.S. counties are at these levels now.

It also plans to reinstate mask requirements for employees later this week, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters.

In June, UAW announced that fully vaccinated workers at their U.S. factories would not have to wear masks on the job starting on July 12. Numerous automakers operating in the United States were refusing pandemic mask mandates as cases began to change.