Apple’s apparently giving retail and corporate workers a hardcore either/or: Either get a COVID-19 booster, or have a stick shoved up your nose on the regular. The Verge has word of an internal memo for Apple employees. It has Apple saying:
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…
It seems those who decline to get stuck will get the stick. The piece says:
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 15th.
That doesn’t sound wildly different from company mandates from last year. Back then, “Apple asked that unvaccinated corporate employees take daily tests before entering the office,” according to The Verge, “with unvaccinated retail workers testing twice per week.” Now, the piece says unvaccinated employees and/or employees who haven’t offered proof of vaccination will have to “provide negative COVID-19 rapid antigen tests before entering the workplace…” Set to start on 24 January, The Verge says it’s unclear whether that’s only for office workers or corporate and retail.
