Sometimes it feels like a "normal" post-pandemic life is already here. There are outdoor gatherings, people are traveling again and the American Mold Builders Association even had an in-person conference this week in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Companies have been relaxing requirements for masks, although it's complicated for firms with locations spread around the world. Toyota, for example, is lifting masking requirements for its 36,000 U.S. employees starting the week of July 5 for its production sites in Missouri and Tennessee, then July 12 at other facilities.
But that doesn't mean we can all go right back to old habits. The U.S. is still averaging more than 10,000 new reported cases every day.
Even Toyota's upcoming changes on masking has a very big asterisk. To go mask-free, you'll have to show proof that you've been vaccinated and "wear a company-issued identifier," writes Larry Vellequette from Automotive News. Toyota continues to offer a $100 incentive to its workers for getting vaccinated.
So let's call it back to "normal-ish" for now and hope that it won't be long until we can drop the "ish" part of that word.