Apple now requires employees to submit proof of vaccination with COVID-19 booster injections

Apple announced in an internal email that it is now requiring all store and business employees to be vaccinated with COVID-19. Once employees are eligible for injectable boosters, they will have four weeks to comply, otherwise, starting Feb. 15, they will need to complete regular health tests to enter a retail store, partner store, or Apple office area.

Apple will require unvaccinated employees or those who have not yet submitted proof of vaccination to provide negative results for covid-19 rapid antigen tests starting Jan. 24 before entering the workplace, though it's unclear whether this applies to both company and retail employees.

"Due to the weakening of the primary line of vaccines for COVID-19 and the emergence of highly transmissible variants such as Omicron, intensive injections are now performed as part of maintaining the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, which prevents severe illness from occurring," Apple noted in the memo.

Last year, Apple required unvaccinated employees to be tested daily before entering the office, and unvaccinated retail employees were tested twice a week. The company also began requiring vaccinated employees to take COVID-19 tests once a week, and later reduced the frequency of these tests. However, Apple's "infrequent" testing policy no longer seems to apply to employees who did not receive a booster needle before Apple's deadline.

Earlier this week, Meta said employees will need to receive COVID-19 reinforcement before the company resumes work in the office in March. While Google hasn't mandated company-wide booster injections, it does require employees to get their first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as weekly testing.