Southwest Airlines has now announced to offer corona vaccines for free to their employees when is widely available in the U.S, the carrier confirms the update to a TV news channel on Friday. When the time comes, employees can be strongly encouraged to get vaccinated against the deadly virus, a spokesperson stated.
“Southwest highly recommends its staff to get vaccinated against coronavirus. At this initial stage of the roll-out of vaccine, states and nations are driving prioritization and distribution, and that’s actually limited to state or county designated medical providers,” he added.
As soon as accessible, the airline will foot the bill for administrative fees via its company health plan. The vaccine itself is funded by the federal government.
“We’re developing our plan for vaccines as quickly as new info turns into out there, as are many other organizations and communities,” they continued. “Within the meantime, we proceed to encourage Southwest employees to seek out updates and information from the CDC, as well as on state and local web sites on access to vaccines.”
Abroad, Singapore Airlines stated it’s racing to have the first fully vaccinated crew within commercial aviation. Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung hopes to have all front-line workers within the aviation and maritime industries vaccinated within two months.
In related news, President Joe Biden also signed an executive order on Thursday mandating face masks for air travel, in addition to commercial transportation and on federal property. Biden’s decision comes amid calls from groups inside the airline industry to a problem such a requirement, and nearly one yr after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.
