Ford will reopen the majority of its European production plants starting Monday, May 4.
The automaker will restart its vehicle assembly facilities at Saarlouis and Cologne in Germany, in Craiova in Romania, in Valencia in Spain, and in Golcuk and Yenikoy in Turkey from that date, Ford said on Tuesday in a news release.
It will also resume engine production at Cologne and Craiova starting May 4. Its Valencia engine plant will restart May 18.
The company said its two U.K. engine plants will start again "at a later date," without being specific.
"We need to prepare for a new environment once we are past the initial peak of the Coronavirus pandemic in Europe," Ford of Europe CEO Stuart Rowley said in the release.
Ford is implementing global standards on social distancing and strengthened health and safety protocols, Rowley said.
Production will be phased in gradually with the initial focus on fulfilling orders already taken by dealers, the company said.
It will be "a few months" before full production is resumed, Ford said. The slow start was to ensure suppliers were ready, enough dealerships across Europe were open and countries had sufficiently relaxed movement restrictions, it said.
Measures to protect workers from possible coronavirus infections include issuing a Ford-made facemask to anyone entering the plants, as well as requiring the use of face shields in areas where social distancing can’t be easily enforced.
Anyone entering a Ford facility will also their body temperature checked on entry with scanning equipment, and workers must complete a daily wellness self-assessment.
Employees will also be given a personal care kit on their return to work, including disposable face masks, reusable thermometer and other hygiene items.
Ford said would produce face masks itself for use at its facilities across Europe.
“Maintaining the health of our workforce is the top priority when restarting production and returning to work at our plants,” said Martin Hennig, chairman of the Ford European works council.
