Companies revert to more normal operations as COVID wanes

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time in two years for many people, the American workplace is transforming into something that resembles pre-pandemic days. Tyson Foods said Tuesday it was ending mask requirements for its vaccinated workers in some facilities. Last week, Walmart and Amazon said they’ll no longer require fully vaccinated workers to don masks in stores or warehouses unless required under local or state laws. Meanwhile, tech companies like Microsoft and Facebook that had allowed employees to work fully remote are now setting mandatory dates to return to the office after lots of fits and starts. That’s a stark reversal from just weeks ago when the omicron variant of COVID-19 was peaking. But the U.S. has seen COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations plummet in recent weeks.