Apple will soon require employees to show proof of a booster COVID-19 shot, according to an internal memo.
According to the email, which was obtained by The Verge, starting on Jan. 24 retail and corporate employees will have to prove that they have received a booster shot against the deadly coronavirus, amid the emergence of more-contagious variants.
“Due to waning efficacy of the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and the emergence of highly transmissible variants such as Omicron, a booster shot is now part of staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination to protect against severe disease,” the tech giant said.
Employees who are eligible for a booster shot will have four weeks to receive one. If they don’t, they will need to routinely take COVID-19 tests before they can enter into the office, retail stores, or partner stores, starting on Feb. 15.
Unvaccinated employees will be required to show proof of negative antigen, or rapid, tests before going into work starting on Jan. 24 — however, it’s not clear whether the rule will apply to employees who work at the corporate office, at retail locations, or both.
Earlier this week, Facebook parent company Meta announced that it would delay its office reopening date in the U.S. — from Jan. 31 to March 28 — adding that it would require all employees returning to the office to get a COVID-19 booster shot.
On Friday, Google announced that anyone going into one of its U.S. offices would require to wear a surgical-grade mask and submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.
“To help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 during this period of heightened risk, we’re implementing new temporary health and safety measures for anyone accessing our sites in the U.S.,” a Google spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
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