By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Detroit’s Big Three Automakers announced on Thursday that they would allow workers to remove masks from workplaces in which U.S. officials consider it safe.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:) Ford Motor. (NYSE:) Co. Stellantis NV, the parent of Chrysler, and the United Auto Workers union stated in a joint statement that they would accept the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. These guidance allow workers to avoid wearing masks at U.S. facilities regardless of COVID-19 vaccine status, if the facilities aren’t in high-risk areas.

According to the CDC, 93% of Americans reside in low-risk areas.

Nearly every part of Michigan where the Big Three Automakers own many plants is in an area where the CDC considers it safe for people to remove masks. This includes the areas that are home to GM, Ford, and Stellantis North America headquarters.

The CDC also states that many of the plants are found in other states, such as Ohio or Illinois. These states can be dropped without any problems.

Contrary to other manufacturers, The Big Three never required vaccines for thousands unionized U.S workers.

Stellantis, Ford, and Stellantis required that all salaried American non-union workers were vaccinated last fall in order to apply for exemptions.

Stellantis, Ford, GM and GM all required vaccines for autoworkers across Canada.

After a spike in COVID cases, U.S. automakers required that all U.S. factories, offices, and warehouses wear masks from August 2021.

While the CDC and global public health agencies recommend wearing masks in order to stop COVID spreading, some question their effectiveness. However, mask mandates were opposed by many government officials as well people who consider them a government overreach.