Starbucks employees will no longer be mandated under the COVID-19 vaccine or testing rules across the country, the coffee giant said in a memo to its employees. The news comes days after the Supreme Court rejected to uphold President Joe Biden’s wide vaccine mandates.

However, the Seattle-based company did not loosen its COVID-19 vaccine recommendation policy and continues to urge employees to get inoculated. 

Additionally, masking guidelines were laid out by Starbucks that were in line with the recommendations of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Employees were told not to use cloth masks to work and should instead use medical-grade surgical masks provided by the company.

Also Read: New York’s Starbucks store becomes first to unionise in US

Starbucks required workers to reveal their vaccination status by January 10. The company said Wednesday that 90% have reported and the “vast majority” are fully vaccinated. Starbucks would not say what percent of workers are not fully vaccinated, according to reports from Associated Press.

On January 3, Starbucks said it would require all employees to be vaccinated by February 9 or face a weekly COVID test requirement, citing the Biden administration’s rules.

At the time, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer John Culver said it was the responsibility of Starbucks’ leadership “to do whatever we can to help keep you safe and create the safest work environment possible.”  

However, other companies have kept their mandates in place. Citigroup Inc., one of the largest American banks, announced in October that employees needed to be vaccinated or receive accommodation by January 14. New York-based Citi said Wednesday that 99% of its employees have complied so far, according to reports from Associated Press.

Some big companies like Target and McDonald’s did not say anything about their vaccination plans for frontline workers as the issue moved through the courts.