Govt to require its workers to get vaccinated

Government workers have to get at least a shot of Covid-19 vaccine, or they will be required to get tested every two weeks starting from Monday, according to an internal notice seen by civil servant groups.

From September 1 onwards, those who have not taken at least a dose of a coronavirus jab will have to pay for their own tests, according to the notice from the Civil Service Bureau.

Staff who get tested under the new requirement can claim testing fees between August 2 and 31.

They will need to get tested by combined nasal and throat swabs.

The notice also stated that those who refuse to comply with the new order without valid reasons may face a penalty.

As of Friday night, over three million people have taken at least a shot of the Sinovac or BioNTech jab, according to the government’s vaccination dashboard. Over 2.4 million people, or around 35% of the territory’s population, have been fully vaccinated.