United AirlinesStaff was informed by Covid-19 case declines that the firm would allow workers not vaccinated to go back to work beginning March 28, according to a statement made Thursday. It is a shift that came from an employer that has one of strictest mandates for inoculation in the country.

United announced last August that it will require all U.S. workers to get vaccinated against Covid. Otherwise, they could be fired. The company stated that more than 96% of United’s approximately 67,000 U.S. employees were currently vaccinated.

Scott Kirby, the CEO, stated in January that there had been no Covid deaths at the company among non-vaccinated employees over the last eight weeks, despite an increase in the number of cases. However, this has now subsided.

United stated that the approximately 2,200 employees who were granted exemptions for religious or medical reasons would be placed on unpaid leave and/or transferred to other customer-facing roles. Unvaccinated flight attendants, for example, couldn’t continue to work in their normal jobs. Some 200 workers were dismissed for having not been vaccinated.

Kirk Limacher, Vice President Human Resources, stated that there has been a decline in Covid-related deaths, hospitalizations, and a loosening in masking regulations in some cities. He also said the pandemic was beginning to recede. We are confident that we can begin to return staff who have been granted exemptions to their jobs.

Limacher explained that “Of Course, there is always a possibility of a different variant emerging or COVID trends suddenly reversing course,” and that the safety protocols will be reevaluated at the time.

The Wall Street Journal published a report late Wednesday night that said the company was changing its policy.