Starbucks is taking the bull by the horns by demanding that all its U.S. workers be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly as of February 9, in keeping with a federal mandate as the Omicron variant advances across the country.

According to press reports, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer John Culver told the company’s domestic workforce of roughly 220,000 employees that they must disclose their vaccination status by January 10.

First detailed in a December 27 letter to employees, the new rules were also reiterated in a weekly update at the beginning of the week.

“The vaccine is the best option we have, by far, when it comes to staying safe and slowing the spread of COVID-19,” Culver wrote. “It’s concerning to see this new variant has pushed daily COVID-19 case counts higher than the Delta wave at its peak.”

The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set February 9 as its new date for big employers to require full immunization or weekly testing for the coronavirus.

Under the coffee chain’s new policy, Starbucks workers who opt out of vaccination will have to buy their own OSHA-approved tests and submit results every week.

Readers Bureau

Edited by Jesus Chan

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