Apple employees are no longer compelled to wear masks at work
According to reports, Apple has informed its staff that wearing masks to work is no longer mandatory. However, if they feel safe doing so, they are free to wear masks. The employees are free to choose in accordance with their level of comfort, the particular circumstances and conditions in their respective locations, and the health authorities’ criteria. At most of its sites, Apple has reportedly instructed staff to respect individual decisions to mask up or not, and to not engage in any form of discrimination against those who choose to do so. Coincidentally, the COVID-19 BA.5 variant is spreading quickly throughout the US. According to media sources, more than 1.75 lakh cases have already been reported. Based on the drop in infections and hospitalizations, Los Angeles County in California has formally decided to repeal the mask mandate. The County’s 10 million residents would have been required to wear masks indoors, according to earlier plans by its health authorities. In the meantime, a Texas court has upheld the governor’s ban on mask requirements in schools, Greg Abbott. Abbott’s executive order forbade any governmental organisations, including universities and other academic institutions, from enforcing mask regulations. There were numerous demonstrations against this restriction, nevertheless. The prohibition was also the subject of a lawsuit by a group of students who claimed Texas State had violated the American Rescue Plan Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Disabilities Act by imposing it and that doing so endangered the lives of the students. However, the court said there was insufficient evidence to support the claim that the mask restriction put them at danger of catching COVID-19.