San Francisco, Feb 24 (IANS): In a major update to Covid-19 protocols, Google will no longer mandate vaccines as a condition of employment for US workers.

"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 in a statement to CNET.

"We are giving employees who welcome the chance to come into the office the option to do that wherever we safely can, while allowing those who aren't ready to keep working from home."

Google will give access to employees to fitness centres, restore shuttle service and it will also open its informal spaces.

In addition, the US based search engine giant is lifting a policy that required anyone entering a Google facility, even vaccinated staffers, to have a negative Covid-19 molecular test.

Google first announced a US vaccine mandate for in-office employees amid the spread of the Delta variant.

Back in December, the company said it would wait until 2022 to make a decision on return-to-office plans. Google said working from the office remains voluntary and 30 per cent of its Bay Area "Googlers" have returned to onsite work.