Up to half can return to workplace from January; concession for unvaccinated may be removed
UP to half of those who can work from home can return to the office from Jan 1 next year, but the earlier concession for unvaccinated employees may be removed.
"We are now considering to remove the concession for unvaccinated persons to return to the worksite with a negative Covid-19 test," said Lawrence Wong, one of the co-chairs of the multi-ministry taskforce on Covid-19 on Tuesday (Dec 14).
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced in October the implementation of the Workforce Vaccination Measures which mandates that only employees who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 270 days, can return to the workplace. These measures kick in on Jan 1.
The guideline then was that unvaccinated employees will not be allowed to return to the workplace unless they have tested negative via a Pre-Event Test at an MOH-approved Covid-19 test provider.
"It does have implications for employers and workers and that's why we are consulting and discussing with our tripartite partners on this particular move and we will provide more details on when the arrangements are finalised," said Wong, who is also the Minister for Finance.
This comes even as the quota for those who can return to the office is increased to 50 per cent.
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"Work from home has been the default arrangement and we recognise that this arrangement is not ideal and not sustainable in the long run as face-to-face interaction is important for team dynamics as well as other operational considerations," said Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, who also co-chairs the Multi-Ministry Taskforce.
Meanwhile, the cap on work-related events - currently at 50 persons - will be raised for events where all participants remain masked and seated, at a safe distance from each other.
"However, social gatherings at the workplace will continue to be disallowed to minimise mingling and reduce infection risks," he said.
Separately, the government will extend subsidies for mandated rostered routine testing until March 31, said the MOH in a release.
"Beyond that, employers and businesses should be prepare to factor in testing costs as part of their normal business operations," said the ministry.
There will also be nearly 60 quick test centres that will be set up for the public to conduct antigen rapid tests under trained supervision. These will be ready "within the next few weeks" and will be in addition to the close to 60 quick test centres that have already been set up by the Health Promotion Board, or by the authorities in partnership with private providers.
Such tests, at S$15 each, can be used to meet rostered routine testing at workplaces, or pre-event testing requirements prior to attendance at large-scale events.
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