As the more contagious Delta variant of the COVID-19 continues to push the rise in cases, Twitter Inc is closing its offices that were reopened in the United States while other giant technology companies mandate vaccination for on-site workers.
On Wednesday, Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook announced that it will require all its employees to get the vaccine before coming into their offices. Google, as well, also intends to further its vaccination program to other areas in the next months.
The coming office reopening of Twitter was put on a pause on Wednesday as the company had permitted its employees to return to its San Francisco and New York campuses, but maintaining half of the capacity.
Lyft Inc, a ride-hailing company based in San Francisco, also said it postponed its planned reopening to February from September. The company has also mandated its employees to get the vaccine before they come back to the office.
“We anticipate the COVID situation will remain fluid for the upcoming months, making it difficult for us to land a clear return date without a possibility of moving it again,” Logan Green, Lyft’s CEO, said in an office memo.
Vaccination mandate was also up on the streaming mammoth Netflix, as reported by Deadline.
Apple Inc, meanwhile, intends to renew its face-covering policy in the majority of its retail stores in the US. Bloomberg News reported that the mask policy will be implemented both for its customers and employees regardless of vaccination status.
Employees of several tech companies like Microsoft Corp and Uber are expected to report to their offices after shifting to a work-from-home arrangement made during lockdowns, Reuters reported.
On Wednesday, Google said that its work-from-home arrangement will be extended until Oct. 18, citing the latest spike in cases triggered by the spread of the Delta variant in many regions.
