In the US, factory workers began returning to assembly lines in Michigan, paving the way to reopen the auto sector but stoking fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections as strict lockdowns are eased across the country. With millions of Americans out of work and much of the economy at a virtual standstill, a growing number of states are ending tough restrictions on commerce and social life put in place to slow the outbreak. Some auto suppliers in Michigan, a Midwest industrial powerhouse hard hit by the pandemic and its economic fallout, reopened plants on Monday with skeleton crews to get ready for a resumption of vehicle production next week.

Skilled-trades workers and salaried employees also began returning auto assembly plants themselves to prepare for the wider restart.