Apple is requiring workers to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters as employers start mandating the shots amid the surge in Omicron cases

• Eligible Apple employees must get boosted or test to enter stores and offices starting February 15.
• A memo seen by The Verge also said unvaccinated workers must test often starting January 24.

Apple is requiring all of its corporate and retail employees to get COVID-19 vaccine booster shots or submit to frequent coronavirus tests, The Verge reported.

"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," said an internal memo seen by The Verge.

Any Apple employees who don't get booster shots within four weeks of becoming eligible will be required to take rapid antigen tests before entering workplaces starting February 15, the media outlet added.

Workers who are unvaccinated or haven't provided proof of vaccination must provide negative test results starting January 24, the memo seen by The Verge said, though the outlet added that it was unclear whether this testing requirement applied to both corporate and retail employees.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

US employers are grappling with a surge in cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant just as many were preparing to return to the office after nearly two years of working from home.

Apple has pushed back its return-to-office plans indefinitely, in line with other major tech firms.

Last week, Facebook's parent company, Meta, told its employees that it would mandate booster shots for all workers when its US campuses reopened.

Amazon has offered US warehouse workers $40 if they get a booster, The Information reported Thursday.