Unvaccinated? You Can Be Denied Entry to Establishments Starting December

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Starting December 1, businesses and establishments can deny entry and refuse their services to those who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination but remain unvaccinated. Malacañang announced the policy on Friday, November 12, in a bid to boost interest in inoculation.

"Public and private establishments may validly refuse entry and/or deny service to individuals who remain to be unvaccinated, or are merely partially vaccinated, despite being eligible for vaccination," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

Frontline and emergency services, however, should continue to assist all persons regardless of vaccination status, said Roque who also noted that an individual will only be considered ineligible for vaccination through the "presentation of a medical clearance issued by a government health office, or birth certificate, as the case may be." The announcement came ahead of the government's planned three-day national vaccination drive which aims to ramp up inoculations ahead of Christmas.

What this means for unvaccinated workers and employees

In areas where there are enough COVID-19 vaccine supplies, Roque said employees who are needed for on-site work can be required to be vaccinated but those who refuse inoculation cannot be terminated. The policy includes workers in public transport namely the road, rail, maritime, and aviation sectors.

Roque also noted that "all workers to be vaccinated during work hours shall not be considered absent upon sufficient proof of a confirmed vaccination schedule." Should an employee refuse inoculation, the individual should be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing at their own expense, he added. The Department of Labor and Employment has said that it is illegal for employers to terminate employees who refuse COVID-19 vaccination.

PHOTO BY Jerome Ascano

Malacañang also urged local government units to craft ordinances to prioritize fully vaccinated individuals and to encourage businesses to require proof of vaccination to their customers. "All government agencies are enjoined to implement measures prioritizing fully vaccinated individuals availing of government programs and services," Roque said.

As of November 6,  some 29.3 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against an initial target of at least 54 million people before Christmas.

This story originally appeared on Reportr.world. Minor edits have been made by the SPOT.ph editors.

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Source: Spot PH