After Google and Meta, Apple asks employees to submit COVID booster jab proof

San Francisco: After Meta (formerly Facebook), Apple now requires employees to get a Covid booster shot and submit proof of vaccination before entering office premises and its own retail stores, the media reported.

In an internal email seen by The Verge, the iPhone maker said that once an employee is eligible to get a booster shot, they will have four weeks to comply.

"Otherwise, they will need to take frequent tests to enter a retail store, partner store, or Apple office starting on February 15," read the memo.

Apple will also require unvaccinated employees to provide negative Covid rapid antigen tests before entering the workplace, beginning January 24.

"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.

Last week, Meta said that employees who have received Covid booster jabs will only be allowed to enter office premises when it finally reopens.

Meta has already said that employees in the US would have to be fully vaccinated against Covid when they return to the office, likely from March 28 which is another delayed date for full office reopening as the Omicron-led Covid surge continues.

"They'll also need proof of a booster vaccine," a Meta spokesperson had said.

As the Omicron-triggered Covid infections surge globally especially in the US, Google has also said it will now require fully-vaccinated workers who are coming to offices to get weekly Covid tests.

Google will require anyone going to one of its US offices or facilities to have received a negative molecular test for COVID-19, reports CNBC citing an internal memo sent to employees.

The employees should also report their vaccination status and wear surgical-grade masks while at the office.

Last month, Google reportedly told employees that they will lose pay - and will eventually be fired - if they do not comply with the company's Covid-19 vaccination policy.

Employees who did not comply with the vaccination rules by the January 18 deadline will be placed on "paid administrative leave" for 30 days. After that, the company will put them on "unpaid personal leave" for up to six months, followed by termination.

While much of the tech industry continues to push back return-to-work plans and companies large and small prepare for a flexible future, Google is requiring its workforce to eventually come into physical offices three days a week at some point in 2022.