Apple now requires store and corporate employees to get a COVID-19 booster shot, the company announced in an internal email seen by The edge.
Once an employee is eligible for a booster shot, they have four weeks to comply, otherwise, starting Feb. 15, they must pass regular tests to enter a retail store, partner store, or Apple office. Apple will require unvaccinated employees – or those who have not yet submitted a vaccination certificate – to deliver negative COVID-19 rapid antigen tests before entering the workplace starting Jan. 24, although it’s unclear whether this will apply to both corporate and retail employees. .
“Due to the declining efficacy of the primary line of COVID-19 vaccines and the emergence of highly transmissible variants such as Omicron, a booster injection is now part of staying up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccination to protect you against serious illness,” said Apple. is in the memo.
Last year, Apple asked unvaccinated company employees to take daily tests before entering the office, and unvaccinated store employees tested twice a week. The company also began requiring vaccinated individuals to undergo COVID-19 testing once a week, later reducing the frequency of these tests. However, it appears that Apple’s “irregular” testing policy no longer applies to employees who do not receive the booster shot by Apple’s deadline.
Earlier this week, Meta said employees should receive a COVID-19 booster shot before the company returns to office work in March. While Google has not yet mandated company-wide booster shots, it requires employees to have the first two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and undergo weekly molecular testing.
