Gov’t to require COVID-19 vaxxing of on-site workers starting Dec. 1

MANILA, Philippines — Starting Dec. 1, the government will require COVID-19 vaccination of all eligible employees doing on-site work in public and private firms located in areas where there are sufficient supplies of vaccines, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this measure was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) during a meeting on Thursday.

Roque said employees who remain unvaccinated may not be terminated from their jobs but will be required to undergo regular RT-PCR testing, or antigen tests, at their own expense.

Public transportation services in the road, rail, maritime, and aviation sectors shall also require all their eligible workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition to continue their operations.

Roque said public and private establishments may validly refuse entry and/or deny service to individuals who remain to be unvaccinated or remain partially vaccinated, despite being eligible for vaccination.

However, frontline and emergency services shall continue to render assistance to all persons, regardless of vaccination status.

Local government units (LGUs) are also urged to issue orders or ordinances providing incentives for fully vaccinated individuals, Roque said.

Business establishments are also urged to require proof of vaccination before individuals may avail of services or qualify for certain activities.

All workers to be vaccinated during work hours shall not be considered absent as long as they present sufficient proof of a confirmed vaccination schedule, Roque said.

Unvaccinated individuals may present medical clearances issued by a government health office, or a birth certificate, as proof of ineligibility for vaccination.

Government agencies are also urged to implement measures prioritizing fully vaccinated individuals availing of government programs and services, Roque said.

So far, 30.4 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which accounts for 39.5% of the adult target population.

/MUF