Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Social Media Giants Now Requiring Covid Vaccines; Twitter Shutters Offices
USA Today: Google Requires Vaccines, Delays Return To Office
Google on Wednesday became the first major tech company to require COVID vaccinations of employees working at the company's facilities. Shortly afterward, Facebook also said it will make vaccines mandatory for U.S. employees who work in offices. Both companies said they would consider exceptions for medical and other reasons. In a message to Google's 130,000-plus workers worldwide, CEO Sundar Pichai said the policy would go into effect in the U.S. in the coming weeks and abroad in the following months, and it would be dependent on vaccines being widely available. (Ortiz, Miller and Aspegren, 7/28)
CNBC: Facebook Requiring U.S. Employees To Be Vaccinated To Return To Work
Facebook will require U.S. workers returning to its offices to be vaccinated, the company said on Wednesday. “As our offices reopen, we will be requiring anyone coming to work at any of our US campuses to be vaccinated,” VP of People Lori Goler said in a statement. “How we implement this policy will depend on local conditions and regulations.” Facebook will create processes for those who can’t be vaccinated for medical or other reasons, Goler said. The company will continue to evaluate its approach outside the U.S., Goler added. (Feiner, 7/28)
San Francisco Chronicle: Twitter Closes S.F. And New York Offices As Delta Variant Spreads
Twitter has closed its San Francisco and New York offices just two weeks after reopening them as virus cases surge. “After careful consideration of the CDC’s updated guidelines, and in light of current conditions, Twitter has made the decision to close our opened offices in New York and San Francisco as well as pause future office reopenings, effective immediately,” the company said. The closure is a blow to San Francisco’s nascent economic recovery and another sign of disruption to the tech industry’s return to work. Google and Apple are also delaying mandatory office returns until at least October. Google and Facebook will require employee vaccinations. (Li, 7/28)
WRAL TechWire/CNN: List Of Companies Requiring Vaccinations Is Growing, From Google To Twitter
Here are the companies that have announced Covid-19 vaccine requirements for at least some of their employees. (Benveniste, 7/29)
CBS News: From Apple And Google To Indeed, COVID-19 Variants Delay The Return To Office
Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, in particular, which has forced corporations like his to backtrack on plans to reopen fully. "As the last 18 months have demonstrated many times before, progress made is not progress guaranteed. An uneven recovery to the pandemic and the Delta variant surging in many countries around the world have shown us once again that the road to recovery will be a winding one," Cook said on a conference call Tuesday. (Cerullo, 7/28)
The New York Times: Here's How Companies Are Responding To The Rise In Virus Cases
Companies are revisiting coronavirus precautions as cases rise across the United States, fueled by the Delta variant. Lyft said on Wednesday that it would not require employees to return to the office until February, while Twitter said it would close its newly reopened offices in San Francisco and New York and indefinitely postpone other reopening plans. (7/29)
Bloomberg: Virus Surge Upends Plans for Getting Workers Back to Offices
The resurgent coronavirus and return of mask recommendations are hampering corporate America’s plans to get back to normalcy. Google on Wednesday said that it will push back its official office return to mid-October and require workers at its campuses to get vaccinated. Lyft Inc. postponed its return date to February, while Twitter Inc. shut its recently reopened offices. Apple Inc. is requiring masks at most U.S. stores, and Walt Disney Co. is again mandating them at its Florida and California parks. (Green, 7/28)
