The Public Service Department (JPA) has made it mandatory for all federal civil servants to get the COVID-19 vaccine by 1 November this year. The agency states that federal government employees who fail to comply with this directive within the stipulated period will face disciplinary actions.
Citing provisions under the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Code of Conduct 1993 [pdf] to implement the mandate, JPA says that exemptions will only be given to those who have documentation from government doctors that prove they have health issues preventing them from taking the vaccine.
“By requiring all federal government employees to be immunised, this will give the people confidence and guarantee of a smooth provision of services,” says the department.
Additionally, JPA said that those who have yet to be vaccinated can walk into vaccination centres provided by the government. The directive is not surprising, as the government already acknowledged that it has been mulling on penalties for civil servants who refuse the shots. The Ministry of Health is also considering making COVID-19 inoculation mandatory for employees in certain private sectors.
Currently, 98% of federal government employees have received the jab, while only 1.6% (16902) are still unvaccinated — this presumably includes the 2000 remaining teachers mentioned by the ministry of education earlier this week. As of 2019, the government employs 1.71 million civil servants, including personnel in the armed forces, police, education, and public health sectors.
(Source: JPA / w
. Image: JKJAV / Twitter.)
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