CNN has terminated three employees after they violated company policy and went into the office without receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
CEO Jeff Zucker addressed the firings in a staff memo, reminding workers of the "zero tolerance policy on this."
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"You need to be vaccinated to come to the office. And you need to be vaccinated to work in the field, with other employees, regardless of whether you enter the office or not. Period," he wrote.
No details were provided on the firings, or where the employees were based.
Proof of vaccination has been on the honor system, but Zucker said that will likely change.
"We expect in the weeks ahead, showing vaccination may become a formal part of the WarnerMedia Passcard process," he wrote.
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Zucker's memo goes on to say that CNN is postponing its planned Sept. 7 company wide return-to-office date and is now targeting mid-October. He said the decision was made based on "what experts expect to evolve with the virus in the weeks ahead" as COVID cases continue to rise with the spread of the Delta variant.
"This was not an easy decision, and there is much to consider," Zucker wrote. "I think it is fair to say that we are all feeling a mix of anticipation, anxiety, frustration, confusion, and exasperation... I get it."
Zucker said those who work in person at offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta will now also be required to wear face masks, regardless of their vaccination status.
CNN is one of several news organizations, including the Washington Post and New York Times, that requires staffers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 if they want to work at the office in person.
As of Thursday, 70.4% of Americans 18 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 60.8% are considered fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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