Tesla to demand masks for all workers at its Nevada battery plant

Tesla appears to have come a long way since the days of defying local COVID-19 security orders. the Wall Street newspaper Sources say Tesla will require all staff at its Nevada Gigafactory to wear masks from August 9, regardless of their immunization status. Previously, battery factory workers only needed to wear masks if they had not been fully immunized.

Informants said Tesla was toughening its policy following the more easily transmitted Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, including updated CDC guidelines recommending that vaccinated people wear masks indoors. While full vaccinations always reduce the risk of infection and symptoms, there is some evidence that breakthrough cases (those cases where vaccinated people get infected) can easily pass the virus on to others.

The company did not respond to requests for comment, although it shouldn’t do so when it quietly disbanded its public relations team in fall 2020.

Tesla was slightly slower than its Detroit-based rivals, which reinstated mask warrants a week earlier. However, this contrasts sharply with the attitude of the electric vehicle maker in May 2020, when it defied an Alameda County lockdown and kept its Fremont auto plant open. Elon Musk also threatened to move Tesla’s headquarters out of California and sue the county. The move may have resulted in additional infections at the Fremont plant, and Musk said he contracted COVID-19 in November 2020.

It’s easier for Tesla to comply this time when its factory can stay open. The auto brand also can’t afford to test the patience of officials when it struggles to meet demand for its vehicles. Still, the reported mask command stands in stark contrast to Tesla’s previous attitude – it’s about volunteering to act, rather than fighting back.