May 14, 2020—The U.S. factories that make Fords, Chevys, and Jeeps are coming back this week as workers install new safety equipment and wake up machines ahead of the high-stakes restart the Detroit automakers plan to launch on Monday, reports Reuters.
According to the report, Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler all plan to reopen North American factories on May 18, a test of whether workers across a range of industries can return to factories in large numbers without a resurgence of COVID-19 infections.
Executives at Ford and GM said separately this week the companies have not recorded any cases of COVID-19 transmission in plants outside the United States since adopting new safety protocols, which include mandatory face masks, separation of workers on assembly lines, frequent cleaning of work areas, and requirements that workers pass through temperature monitors and report any symptoms before entering a plant.
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