California Will Offer $116 Million In Prize Money For Coronavirus Vaccinations
LOS ANGELES Californians will be eligible for $116.5 million in prize money for getting coronavirus shots, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday, a windfall aimed at getting millions more vaccinated before the nations most populous state fully reopens next month.
The state estimates about 12 million Californians 12 and older have not been vaccinated. About 63% of the 34 million eligible have gotten shots, though the pace has slowed markedly in recent weeks as infection rates have plummeted to record lows.
California isnt the first state to offer vaccine prizes, though its pot of money is the largest, and so is the most valuable single prize: $1.5 million. The states reopening is pegged for June 15, and on that day a drawing will be held to award 10 vaccinated people the top prize .
Another 30 people will win $50,000 each, with those drawings starting June 4. Anyone 12 and older who has received at least one shot will be eligible. And the next 2 million people who get vaccinated will get $50 gift cards.
Ohio this week announced the first $1 million winner of its Vax-a-Million contest, as well as the first child to win a full college scholarship. Colorado and Oregon also offered $1 million prizes.
New York is raffling 50 full scholarships to children 12 to 17 to public universities and colleges in the state, selecting 10 winners each of the next five Wednesdays.
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Can I Increase My Odds If I Get Vaccinated Multiple Times
Aside from its being inadvisable from a health perspective, Newsom emphasized that getting vaccinated beyond the recommended regimen two doses for Pfizer and Moderna, and one for Johnson & Johnson will not boost a residents odds of winning.
If you want to get vaccinated again, you think you can have your name in twice, its not going to work, he said. So don’t go back and get vaccinated again. It won’t make any difference.
How Do I Get Vaccinated
If you want to get vaccinated and entered the Vax for the Win contest, visit the MyTurn website or call the CA COVID-19 Hotline at 1-833-422-4255 to find a vaccination site near you. Many allow you to walk in without an appointment.
People can get vaccinated at any site in California that reports to the statewide vaccination registry , including in-home vaccination services, to be eligible for the free money.
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California Is The Latest State To Offer A Vaccine Lottery
Governor Gavin Newsom wants to reward residents who have already gotten the COVID-19 vaccine and those about to do so. He recently announced a vaccine incentive program, Vax for the Win, which will give away $100 million in $50 prepaid grocery cards and $16.5 million in cash prizes. This program is targeted towards residents who are already vaccinated or those who will soon become vaccinated.
To take part in this program, you must be at least 12 years old and be a California resident. Incarcerated people and those living out of state are not eligible to win. Here are the prizes up for grabs:
Veterans And Native Americans Are Eligible
Initially, the lottery’s rules meant that certain groups were not eligible for entry due to being vaccinated via the Veterans Administration and Tribal Health Program. However, the issue has now been resolved to allow more residents the opportunity take home a prize.
“Thanks to our partners across the state, we are now able to include veterans vaccinated through the VA and American Indians vaccinated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,” said NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen. “Everyone can protect themselves and their community while also getting a chance to win a million dollars. Its a win-win.”
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A Number Of States Have Offered Cash Incentives To Encourage Residents To Get The Covid
On Tuesday California Gov. Gavin Newsom took to the stage at Universal Studios, Hollywood to announce the latest winners of the states vaccine lottery. Newsom has introduced the enormous prize draw in the hope of convincing vaccine skeptics to get the life-saving shots.
On Tuesday Newsom drew 10 lucky winners who will receive a $1.5 million cash prize, as part of the Vax for the Win incentive programme. Heres what we know about the winners.
Where were the California Vaccine Lottery winners from?
All California residents to have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine were entered into the prize draw, which offered cash, gift cards and other gifts like free tuition for the winners. So far the latest ten winners have only been identified by their anonymous lottery number and their county:
- Four from Los Angeles County
- One from Marin County
- One from Santa Barbara County
- One from Sacramento County
- One from Stanislaus County
- One from Ventura County
This lucky group each won $1.5 million, following on from two draws earlier this month in which a total of 30 people received $50,000 cash prizes.
Vaccine Lottery: Gov. Gavin Newsom played the role of a gameshow host Friday in a drawing for 15 winners of $50,000 prizes for getting vaccinated against the coronavirus in California.
NBC Bay Area
Newsom urges Californians to remain cautious
Good morning California.
Gavin Newsom
What Incentive Is La County Offering
This week, a pair of season tickets to Kings or Galaxy games is in the mix.
L.A. County adult residents who get their first vaccine between Friday and June 3 at vaccine sites run by L.A. County, the city of Los Angeles or St. John’s Well Child and Family Center clinic will be eligible for a drawing for a pair of season tickets to the Los Angeles Kings or to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
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Thank You For Getting Vaccinated
July Draw
Alberta residents 18+ with at least one dose.
Now closed. Prize awarded July 1.
August Draw
Alberta residents 18+ with two doses.
Now closed. Prizes awarded Aug. 31
September Draw
Alberta residents 18+ with two doses.
Now closed. Prize awarded Sept. 30
Other Summer Prizes All-inclusive vacations Flights to anywhere in Canada or abroad Rail trips Stampede packages Sports packages
California To Award $15 Million Each To 10 Residents In Latest State Vaccine Incentive Program
Thirty people will also have the chance to win $50,000 each.
Vaccine Watch: Incentivizing the vaccine
California is entering the COVID-19 vaccination lottery trend with the biggest contest yet.
Ten vaccinated residents will have the chance to win $1.5 million each, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. The winners of the $15 million worth of cash prizes will be selected on June 15 — the same day when the state plans to fully reopen its economy.
The grand prize is part of a $116.5 million vaccine incentive program for vaccinated Californians.
A $50,000 cash prize will also be awarded to 30 residents. The announcement of those winners will be evenly split across June 4 and June 11.
Both contests are open to residents ages 12 and up with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. For minors who win, the cash will be put in a savings account for them until they turn 18. All Californians who have had at least one COVID-19 dose will automatically be entered to win both contests, the state said. The prize will be awarded once the winner has completed their vaccination series.
The state is also offering incentives to newly vaccinated residents. As of Thursday, the next 2 million people who begin and then complete their COVID-19 vaccination will automatically be eligible to receive a $50 virtual prepaid card or a $50 grocery gift card for select locations, while supplies last. Newsom said he hopes for the state to fully distribute those winnings by June 15.
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Procedure For Awarding Prizes
Random draws will be conducted by Stride Management Corp. on behalf of the Government of Alberta from among all the eligible entries, received on the dates specified above. The winner of the remaining draw is scheduled to be announced on September 30, 2021, for the final $1,000,000 prize.
The announcement dates of winners of a prize draw may be changed at the discretion of the Government of Alberta if more time is required to verify a winners eligibility to be awarded a prize as drawn.
Draws for non-cash prizes took place on various dates between June 14, 2021 and September 30, 2021.
If a prize draw date has multiple non-cash prizes, the draws were made in order from the highest cash or cash equivalent prize to the lowest cash or cash equivalent prize. The first selected registrant to meet all of the eligibility requirements was declared the prize winner, subject to meeting all conditions described in these rules.
Following each draw, Alberta Health will contact winners from that draw at the email or phone number provided by the winner in their entry.
Winners will have up to five calendar days from the day Alberta Health first attempts to contact the winner to do the following:
Alberta Health may, in its sole discretion, extend this 5 day claims period.
California To Give $1165 Million To Vaccinated Residents
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced on Thursday a $116.5 million giveaway to residents who have received a coronavirus vaccination in an effort to motivate people to get a shot.
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Friday, June 4, on Friday, June 11, the state of California will be conducting a drawing. Everybody that has been vaccinated in the state of California will have their name, put into this drawing. They are all eligible. And all of those of you before those dates that get vaccinated I hope youre paying attention you get the $50 incentive card and you have a chance to be in a drawing where we will be pulling the names of 15 individuals that will receive $50,000 cash prizes. But the vast majority of Californians eligible that have received a first dose, those that seek to get a first dose before June 15, $15 million that night will be distributed, $1.5 million prizes for 10 individuals. Children 12 and up will also be eligible for those prizes. Were doing that in order to encourage you not only with that $50 gift card, but with this significant prize and incentive program. So its multifaceted $116.5 million were setting aside for these efforts, those gift cards, again, those incentive cards will run through till we run out.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Thursday announced a $116.5 million giveaway to residents who receive a coronavirus vaccination, the latest and largest such effort among U.S. states seeking to motivate people to get a shot.
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Exceptions For Winners Under 18
If a winner is under the age of 18, the California Department of Public Health said their prize money will be put into a savings fund until the person reaches 18 years old, and then the winner will receive the prize money.
When a person under 18 goes to claim their grocery gift card, they may need to have a parent select the card.
California Distributing $116 Million Among People Who Get Covid Shots
May 28, 2021 / 6:57 AM / AP
California is giving away the country’s largest pot of vaccine prize money $116.5 million in an attempt to get millions more inoculated before the most populous state fully reopens next month.
Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced the prizes, which include $1.5 million each for 10 Californians, the largest single award offered in any state.
The goal is to motivate roughly 12 million people who are eligible but not yet vaccinated, though the more than 20 million Californians already partially or fully vaccinated also are in the running for the most valuable prizes.
“We’re putting aside more resources than any other state in America, and we’re making available the largest prizes of any state in America for those that seek to get vaccinated,” Newsom announced at an East Los Angeles high school where people were being vaccinated in the gymnasium.
The state will give $50 gift cards either for general use or for specific grocery stores to the next 2 million people who get shots, including those at the school where Newsom spoke.
Newsom, a freshman Democrat facing a likely recall election in the fall, defended the spending as smart policy aimed at ensuring more than 70% of eligible people are inoculated before the state fully reopens businesses and relaxes social distancing and masking rules on June 15.
California joins a growing list of states offering incentives to boost vaccination rates.
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How Is California Faring On Administering Vaccines
About 54% of California residents have received at least one dose of vaccine.
But officials say there’s need to boost demand.
California has seen its average daily number of vaccine doses administered fall from a peak of 400,000 in early April to 200,000 a day now.
And California still needs to make progress on reducing troubling racial and ethnic disparities in who is getting vaccinated.
What Are The Prizes
On Friday, June 4, the California Lottery will manage the random drawing of 15 people who will win $50,000 each. The next 15 people for the $50,000 prize will be chosen on Friday, June 11.
Then on Tuesday, June 15, when the state reopens, 10 people will be chosen to receive $1.5 million.
An eligible person can only win one of the prizes in the Vax for the Win program.
The state has also rewarded the first two million people to be vaccinated since Thursday, May 27, with $50 grocery cards. People are able to choose between a $50 virtual card, a $50 grocery gift card from Kroger stores, including Ralphs, Food 4 Less or Foods Co., or a $50 grocery gift card from Albertsons, including Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Andronicos Community Markets.
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California Launches $116 Million Lottery For Vaccinated Residents
Already vaccinated? Youre entered
Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled the states official COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Program on Thursday, which offers more than $116 million in prizes for vaccinated Californians.
Following the lead of states including New York, Oregon and Ohio, the Golden State State is the latest to implement an incentive system to boost vaccinations and ensure a safe reopening, which is scheduled for June 15.
CA is launching a $116.5 MILLION GIVEAWAY for vaccinated Californians!$15 MILLION in cash prizes for 10 winners selected 6/15$50k for winners on 6/4 & 6/11Already vaccinated? Youre entered.Not vaccinated? Next 2 million that get fully vaccinated can ALSO get a $50 card.
Gavin Newsom May 27, 2021
Beginning May 27, the next 2 million people who start and complete their COVID-19 vaccination will automatically be eligible for a $50 prepaid or grocery store gift cards from Kroger or Albertsons and their affiliates. The remaining $16.5 million is up for grabs to all Californians who have received at least one dose, with 10 winners receiving $1.5 million each. Kids are eligible, too. Winners under the age of 18 will have their winnings put into savings accounts for when they are of-age. These winners will be selected by June 15.
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How Do You Claim The $50 Card
You’ll get a redemption code by text or email within seven to 10 days after the last vaccination.
If you don’t have a mobile phone or email address, call 993-3873 to get a physical card seven to 10 days after your vaccination. If you don’t have a permanent address, call the same number to coordinate delivery of the card.
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Other Stories You Should Know
1.The battle over child care provider pay
After prolonged haggling, Newsom and state lawmakers are expected today to finally announce a $267 billion budget deal for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The final sticking point in negotiations? Pay rates for child care providers, according to comments Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon made during a Thursday rally in which he, Senate President Toni Atkins and 400 members of Child Care Providers United marched to the state Capitol to demand higher wages. The disagreement is particularly noteworthy given that Newsom who has long made family-friendly policies a hallmark of his platform signed a 2019 bill allowing the providers to unionize and bargain with the state in the first place. Though the governor proposed using part of Californias budget surplus to fund 100,000 more child care slots, that wasnt enough for the Legislature, which proposed $1.1 billion in ongoing funding to reform provider reimbursement rates. Newsoms administration, however, is concerned the state may not be able to afford that in the future, Politico reports.
- Jhumpa Bhattacharya of the Insight Center, an Oakland-based nonprofit economic justice group: This is a debt thats being charged to low-income mostly Black and brown folks, being asked to basically reimburse the government for their safety net.
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In the week since Californians became eligible to win money, vaccinations were down 4% from the prior week, Newsom spokeswoman Erin Mellon said. One million vaccinations were given in the past week, she said.
Next week, another 15 people will win $50,000 and on June 15 there will be 10 grand prize winners who will get $1.5 million each the largest of any vaccination prize in the country.
The winners will remain anonymous unless they give the state permission to share their names, and they have 96 hours to claim their prizes before the state draws alternate winners. The state will contact winners.
Additionally, the state has started providing $50 gift cards to people who get shots. More than 340,000 cards have been given out so far and the state plans to distribute 2 million, which are worth a total of $100 million.
Though vaccinations have slowed, California is among the leading states and already has surpassed Democratic President Joe Bidens goal of ensuring at least 70% of eligible adults have one shot by July 4.
Newsom acknowledged that with Californias virus cases at record lows and the reopening looming it will be hard to convince the unvaccinated to finally get their shots.
Moving from 70% of adults to 75% and beyond, thats stubborn, thats difficult work, he said.
Anyone who has gotten at least one vaccine dose is eligible for the prizes, with a few exceptions including people who are incarcerated and those who work for the governor.
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