Tesla Mandates Masks At Giga Nevada Regardless Of Vaccination Status: WSJ

Tesla Inc TSLA is reinforcing the face-mask wearing requirement at its Nevada gigafactory starting Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

What Happened: The Palo Alto, California-based electric vehicle maker is telling workers they will be required to wear a mask indoors starting Monday irrespective of vaccination status — joining other U.S. automakers and corporations in following stricter at-work guidelines to safeguard against COVID-19.

General Motors Co GM and Ford Motor Co F have already asked workers to resume wearing masks, citing new federal guidelines and the recent rise in COVID-19 cases from the Delta variant. 

Apple Inc AAPL last week reinforced face-mask wearing requirements at most of its U.S. retail stores for both shoppers and employees. 

See Also: Apple Brings Back Face-Mask Requirement At US Stores For Shoppers, Staff

The tech giant has also delayed the return-to-office plan for the corporate employees till October, while Amazon.com Inc AMZN has said employees won’t have to return to the office regularly until January. 

Why It Matters: Tesla CEO Elon Musk last year courted controversy when he threatened to move Tesla out of California over COVID-19-related restrictions imposed in the state. 

Musk called for an end to lockdowns amid the pandemic, equating them with house arrest. The Tesla CEO months later said he had tested positive for the virus.

Tesla reopening the Fremont plan in defiance of county guidelines led to over 450 workers testing positive for COVID-19, according to a later report.

Price Action: Tesla shares closed 2.17% lower at $699.10 on Friday.

See also: How to Invest in Tesla Stock

Photo: Courtesy of Tesla