Eligible employees who are doing on-site work in areas with sufficient supplies of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines will be required to get fully vaccinated starting Dec. 1, 2021, Malacañang announced.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque had this to say Friday, Nov. 12 as the government aims to step up the country's vaccination against COVID-19.
Roque said the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the measures that aimed to increase the demand for vaccination.
He said the COVID-19 vaccination of eligible employees who are doing on-site work in both the public and private sectors will be required in areas where there are sufficient vaccine supplies. Despite this directive, unvaccinated workers will not be terminated; instead, they will be required to undergo regular testing at their own expense.
Public transportation services in the road, rail, maritime, and aviation sectors shall likewise require all their eligible workers to be fully vaccinated as a condition to continue their operations.
Public and private establishments may validly refuse entry and/or deny service to individuals who remain unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, despite being eligible for vaccination.
Frontline and emergency services, on the other hand, shall continue to render assistance to all persons, regardless of vaccination status.
Workers who will be vaccinated during work hours shall not be considered absent upon sufficient proof of a confirmed vaccination schedule.
Meanwhile, to ramp up demand for vaccination, Roque said local government units (LGUs) are strongly enjoined to issue orders or ordinances providing incentives for fully vaccinated individuals, and for business establishments to require proof of vaccination before individuals and/or entities may undertake or qualify for certain activities.
He added that only the presentation of a medical clearance issued by a government health office or birth certificate shall serve as sufficient and valid proof of ineligibility for vaccination.
All government agencies are also enjoined to implement measures prioritizing fully vaccinated individuals availing of government programs and services.