When workers arrive for the 6 a.m. shift at AlphaUSA on Tuesday, they will be required to don face masks for the first time in nearly three months to once again help combat the spread of COVID-19.

The Livonia-based metal stamper and engineering company is joining a growing list of Michigan companies reinstating mask mandates as the latest variant of the coronavirus has reached critical levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state reported 27,705 new weekly cases of the novel coronavirus on May 11, up more than 637 percent since April 6. However, it's nearly impossible to know how many cases are actually occurring due to the widespread use of at-home tests and underreporting. Not everyone who tests positive, especially with mild symptoms, reports their positivity to local health departments. Hospitalizations are also on the rise, up 124 percent since April 6 to 877 as of Friday. Hospitalizations jumped 11 percent in the last two days, but they are nowhere near the pandemic peak of 4,579 in January.

As of Monday, 16 counties in Michigan had reached a level of infection where the CDC recommends mask-wearing at indoor gatherings and in public spaces, up from just one county the week prior. Almost all of Southeast Michigan is now considered a high infection risk, including Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Wayne, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties.

Metro Detroit automakers General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis reinstated mask mandates Monday at their facilities in counties deemed at high risk of infection by the CDC.

"We will be implementing COVID protection measures, including mask wearing, at our facilities in Oakland, Wayne, Livingston and Macomb counties given the CDC has now listed them as high risk, and we are in the process of communicating this with our employees," GM said in a statement to Crain's.

AlphaUSA is joined by large swaths of the supplier industry, such as Bridgewater Interiors LLC's Detroit and Warren plants. But Ron Hall, president and CEO of the seating supplier, said it has not implemented the mask policy at its Lansing plant because Ingham County has not yet reached a high-transmission rate.

It's unknown how long the current surge could last, but Stellantis expects its mask requirement to only remain in place for two weeks, the company said in a statement.

Ferndale Public Schools also announced last week that it would return to mandatory mask wearing across its district on Monday.

"To ensure we are doing everything we can do to keep our students and staff healthy and our schools open, we will be mandating masks (indoors only) for all students and staff as of Monday," the district said in a statement on its website.

Oakland County, which mandated masks at public schools until Feb. 28, is not planning at this time to reinstate its mask order, said Bill Mullan, communications officer for the county.

These rolling mask mandates from employers are expected to continue as the virus ebbs and flows, said Nicole Foley, partner at corporate law firm Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss in Southfield.

"Companies are viewing this as a long haul situation," Foley said. "As cases increase and the ongoing infection rate rises, we'll see more companies moving to protect the health and safety of their employees."

But many employees will not want to put a mask back on. David Lawrence, vice president and chief administrative officer for AlphaUSA, is expecting pushback on the mask mandate from employees, so the company is altering its plan to ensure compliance.

The company will provide KN94 or N95 respirator masks to all employees but will not require masks be worn in open areas of the plant where workspaces are far apart and ceilings are high, Lawrence said. Instead, masks will be required in closed indoor spaces such as in offices, hallways, restrooms and break rooms.

"We made the change based on what we've learned and to maximize compliance," Lawrence said. "We know that in open areas of our plants, it's the next best thing to being outdoors. We think we'll remain safe and get more compliance in the closed spaces where it matters that masks are worn properly."

Foley said she expects the business mask mandates to remain in place for several weeks after the transmission rate in a county has dropped to provide extra time to keep the coronavirus from spreading internally.

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