Starbucks to require all U.S. workers get COVID-19 vaccine or tested

Starbucks says it will require 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. 

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 on Monday. 

"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."