Starting January 24, unvaccinated employees or those who
haven't submitted proof of vaccination will need negative COVID-19 tests to
enter Apple workplaces, the report said. The Verge said it was not immediately
clear if the testing requirement applies to both corporate and retail
employees.
"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 memo read, according
to The Verge.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Many companies in the US have been strengthening their
COVID-19 rules, mandating vaccination and delaying back-to-office plans as the
Omicron variant increases infections across the country.
This week, Facebook parent Meta Platforms mandated COVID-19
booster shots for all workers returning to offices. It also delayed US office
reopenings to March 28, from an earlier plan of January 31.
Alphabet's Google on Friday said it was temporarily
mandating weekly COVID-19 tests for people entering its US offices.
A report by The Information said Amazon has offered its US
warehouse workers $40 to get a booster shot. -Reuters