In an internal memo, Apple Inc. has asked all its store and corporate employees to get boosted. The memo, which was seen by The Verge, laid out rules for both vaccinated and unvaccinated staff, with timelines.

The internal memo by Apple stated that the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines were waning in efficacy and that “highly transmissible variants such as Omicron” had emerged. So, a “booster shot” had become a part of staying up to date with a person’s COVID vaccination “to protect against severe disease.”

The outlet also said that employees had four weeks to comply, after they became eligible to receive a booster shot. If not in compliance, the employees would have to take frequent tests before they could enter a retail store or a partner store or the office of Apple, from February 15.

The Cupertino giant also said that unvaccinated employees and others who had not as yet submitted proof of vaccination were required to provide negative rapid antigen tests before they entered the workplace from January 24. It is not clear whether these rules are for corporate staff or retail staff or for both.

Last year, in mid September, The Verge had reported Apple had required unvaccinated corporate staff to be tested each day before entering office. However, unvaccinated retail staff had to be tested twice a week. It had later added weekly tests for vaccinated staff, as well. Later, it changed the policy to “infrequently” testing vaccinated employees who went to its offices and stores. However, unvaccinated staff still had to undergo frequent testing.

Earlier in the week, Meta (Facebook) had already said that its employees should get a booster shot before returning to office, in March. Google has not as yet mandated the booster shot. Its earlier policy included employees taking two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and taking weekly molecular tests.