Tesla to Require Masks Again at Nevada Gigafactory Due to COVID-19

Amidst rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in the U.S., Tesla is reportedly planning to add some precautions back to at least one of its factories, as detailed in a new report.

Tesla will again require employees to wear masks indoors at its Sparks, Nevada Gigafactory, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Sources familiar with the subject said Tesla is citing the spread of the super-contagious COVID-19 Delta variant along with updated Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, the company

The updated mask requirement primarily applies to those who have been vaccinated, since Tesla was already requiring those who remain unvaccinated to wear masks.

Tesla declined to comment on the newly-updated mask mandate.

Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada to Get New Panasonic Battery Line https://t.co/6ZXUpaRBgx

— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) August 4, 2021

Mask mandates have popped up throughout California’s Bay Area in recent weeks, including in Fremont where one of Tesla’s production facilities is located.

Last year, Tesla and CEO Elon Musk were caught in an embattled struggle against the COVID-19 lockdowns, disobeying lockdown orders and even firing a number of employees for protesting the need to come into the Tesla facility for work.

Tesla also saw positive COVID-19 test results for a Gigafactory Nevada employee last year, before reducing its workforce significantly – which represented a major production hurdle for the company amidst the early pandemic.