DISCOVERY chief executive Adrian Gore has revealed more plans to introduce mandatory vaccinations in the company.
Gore said the group's mandatory vaccination policy would be extended to all the group properties across South Africa and not be limited to Discovery's employees
In a letter published on social media, Gore said Discovery would move to make all its buildings inoculated-only zones.
“This means all internal and external parties will need to be vaccinated; or provide proof of their health status through a Covid-19 test or other means to gain entry to our buildings,” he said.
“As per the mandatory vaccination policy, there will be an appeals and exceptions process, as well as a reasonable accommodation as required in certain circumstances.”
Last week, during its annual results published on Thursday, Discovery announced that it intended to move to a mandatory vaccination policy for employees from January 1 next year. The company said arrangements would be made to try to accommodate employees who did not want to be vaccinated.
He said that now that the county was facing the fourth wave of the coronavirus, lives could be saved if South Africa could inoculate 60% of the population.
“Based on the science and public health imperative, we see it as our responsibility to materially increase the country’s overall vaccination rate,” he said.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standard in this regard. This is crucial both ethically, given the scale of immune-compromised people in our country, and practically, given the degree of vaccine hesitancy currently being observed.”
Gore said he hoped other organisation would follow Discovery's lead.
“Vaccine hesitancy remains an obstacle. This is despite the ample supply of vaccines now in place to vaccinate the majority of adult South Africans by the end of the year.
“We must therefore do everything possible as a country, as a community and as corporate South Africa to vaccinate at pace and scale. In our organisation, this means pushing for 100% vaccination take-up.”
Gore said the group’s position has been legally vetted for its constitutionality and that the proof of vaccination was the most important thing it could do to protect against Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Aspen Pharmacare chief executive Stephen Saad supported Discovery’s move in introducing mandatory vaccinations for its staff members, last week.
In an interview with a broadcaster, Saad said Discovery was in the right.
He said, however, he was unsure of whether he could legally introduce a mandatory vaccination policy at Aspen.
BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE