Ford reinstates mask mandate at facilities in Missouri, Florida amid COVID-19 case rise
Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in parts of the U.S, Ford Motor Co. is once again requiring employees in certain states to mask up at work. The Dearborn automaker confirmed Tuesday that it has reinstated its mask mandate for all employees and visitors at its Missouri and Florida facilities as cases rise in those states, a spike experts have attributed to lagging vaccination rates and circulation of the highly-contagious delta variant of the virus.
Ford also will now require its U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to any international business travel "due to the potential of increased exposure to COVID-19," spokesperson Kelli Felker said in a statement. "Ford continues to strongly encourage all team members who are medically able to be vaccinated," she added.
Missouri has seen cases rise 13.2% over the last seven days compared to the previous week, according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that
Florida is leading the U.S. in COVID-19 cases and seeing hospitalizations in some parts of the state increase at the fastest rate since the onset of the pandemic.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2021/07/27/ford-reinstates-mask-mandate-facilities-missouri-florida/5388736001/