Google on Wednesday told employees that those returning to work at the company's campuses will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
The company is the first of Silicon Valley’s major tech businesses to announce the requirement for employees. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, also wrote in the note to employees that Google will be delaying its return to in-office work until Oct. 18. The tech giant had previously planned to have all employees back in person by the end of Sept.
"This extension will allow us time to ramp back into work while providing flexibility for those who need it," Pichai said. "We’ll continue watching the data carefully and let you know at least 30 days in advance before transitioning into our full return to office plans."
The announcement on Wednesday comes as several counties in California, including many in the Bay Area, have announced updated indoor masking recommendations and mandates as the delta variant of the coronavirus causes a spike in new cases.
Following Google's announcement, Facebook said the same will apply to anyone working in the company's U.S. offices.
"How we implement this policy will depend on local conditions and regulations," Lori Goler, Facebook's vice president of people, wrote in a statement obtained by NPR. "We will have a process for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other reasons and will be evaluating our approach in other regions as the situation evolves."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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