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COVID Recovery: Google Campus Roars Back To Life; Cafes, Gyms Reopen

SAN JOSE (CBS SF/CNN) -- While going to the office remains voluntary for many employees, Google is relaxing some COVID-19 policies at its headquarters and other facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area and bringing back some of its famous perks.

Gone are Google's mask mandates in all Bay Area offices, except for those in Santa Clara County, the company told CNN Wednesday.

While vaccinations will still be required for those showing up to work in person, the company said it will no longer require weekly testing, dispensing with a policy that it introduced in January.

About a third of the company's Bay Area workforce went into the office last week, Google said. But that number could rise as Google announces the return of pre-pandemic perks such as onsite massages, company shuttles, cafes and gyms.

"Based on current conditions in the Bay Area, we're pleased that our employees who choose to come in now have the ability to access more onsite spaces and services to work and connect with colleagues," a Google spokesperson said.

Earlier this month, Microsoft said it was fully reopening its offices in Washington state and in the Bay Area, with its other US offices likely to follow suit "as conditions allow."

© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten. CNN contributed to this report.

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