As first-dose vaccination numbers slow, the government has decided to give away $3 million to incentivize Albertans to get vaccinated.
“We need everyone who's on the fence or those who want to get a shot, but (have) just been putting it off for a while to get their dose now. We've seen a real drop-off in the past week-and-a-half of first doses administered and bookings (being) made,” said Premier Jason Kenney during a press conference on Monday.
Kenney announced details of the COVID-19 vaccination lotteries during the press conference. There will be three lotteries – each worth $1 million – held throughout the next few months.
Albertans aged 18 and up who have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination can register to enter the first lottery. Eligibility for the lottery started Monday and will close a week after the province hits the 70-per-cent target for first-dose vaccinations of people aged 12 and older.
“Currently, we are 48,361 first dose appointments away from reaching that goal,” Kenney said.
The province will hold two more lotteries, each worth $1 million, to encourage people to get their second dose of the vaccine. The first second-dose lottery will happen in August, with registration closing Aug. 24 and the winner being announced on Aug. 31.
The final second-dose lottery will be held in September with registration closing on Sept. 23 and the winner being announced on Sept. 30.
“We are close to the end … We're not across the finish line just yet. And that's why Alberta's government is stepping up to get creative in encouraging yet more people to protect themselves and their loved ones with a vaccine,” said Kenney.
The province will announce more incentive programs in the coming months, including incentives for Albertans aged 12 and up who get a COVID-19 vaccination.
During the press conference, Health Minister Tyler Shandro answered those who think the province is spending too much money on the lottery.
“COVID has already cost us billions and this lottery is aimed at reducing the cost, going forward, to individual Albertans who are still at risk of getting sick, and to all of us as a province,” he said.
As of Monday, the province reported 68.8 per cent of the population aged 12 and up as having their first dose of the vaccine while 20.8 per cent of the population aged 12 and up are fully vaccinated. Over 3.4 million doses of vaccine have been administered.
In St. Albert 69.6 per cent of the population aged 12 and up is vaccinated with their first dose, for a total of 48,858 people.
The province reported Sturgeon County west having 53.9 per cent and Sturgeon County east having 54.1 per cent of the population aged 12 and immunized with at least one dose of the vaccine.
The province reported an additional 115 people as having COVID-19 on June 13, for a total of 3,089 active cases. There are 270 people in the hospital with the virus, with 73 of them in the ICU.
Data from the province shows that nine more St. Albertans have recovered from the virus since June 9. Currently, there are 20 active COVID-19 cases in the city.
Sturgeon County saw six more people recover. The county is down to 17 people with active cases of the virus. Morinville also saw more people recover from the virus, while the province reported three active cases of the virus.
No new deaths were reported for St. Albert, Sturgeon County, or Morinville; however, the province reported eight more deaths over the weekend. A total of 2,270 people have died from COVID-19.
Province-wide R-values from June 7 to 13 are sitting at 0.76. The seven-day average for positivity is at 3.45 per cent.
For more information about the lottery visit albert.ca/lottery.
