Microsoft has joined tech companies that have decided to postpone the release of quarantine measures from their offices until the end of 2021, although the COVID-19 situation is getting easier. The corporation has reportedly postponed the full opening of its offices from its July date of at least September 7th.

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The move, according to the spokesman, was developed as a result of active consultations with experts in the field of health and data analysis. In an email to employees, Executive Vice President Kurt DelBene said the delay would provide additional flexibility to employees who are already making plans for the summer. He added that local office leaders were empowered to initiate additional delays in lifting quarantine measures if the coronavirus situation in their area raises concerns.

Currently, the software giant is in a phase of gradual opening of offices: a limited number of employees can return to full-time work. As of March, about 20% of Microsoft employees from 21 countries have already returned to their offices, including headquarters in Redmond and Seattle.

The new delay is further evidence of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. Vaccination is rapidly gaining momentum and should make face-to-face office work safer. However, it is not clear if enough people will be vaccinated by July, and the rise in rapidly spreading variants of the virus is complicating matters. Be that as it may, Microsoft has already announced that it is going to allow the majority of employees, if they wish, to work from home up to half of their working hours after the opening of the offices.