Hong Kong rail operator issues vaccine mandate to its employees

Hong Kong rail operator MTR Corp. is asking its employees to receive at least one Covid vaccine dose by late February as the city battles a fifth wave of coronavirus infections sparked by the omicron variant.

All staff entering company premises must receive one dose by Feb. 23 and two by the end of April unless they have certified medical conditions that prevent them from getting the vaccine, MTR said in an emailed response to Bloomberg News. It also urged employees to get their booster shots as soon as possible if they are eligible.

Regular testing will not be accepted as an alternative to receiving the vaccine, it said, adding that it will follow up with individual employees who refuse to take the vaccine by the deadline.

MTR is the latest major employer in the city to mandate vaccines as the highly transmissible omicron variant started spreading in the community in late December. Government employees have also been asked to present their Covid vaccination records when they enter government buildings and offices beginning mid-February.

Hong Kong is racing to get more citizens vaccinated, with just 62.4% of the population having received two doses so far, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker. Authorities will require people to have had at least one dose to enter many leisure and sports venues such as restaurants, gyms and cinemas, it said late next month.