EDMONTON, AB – A big incentive for Albertans to roll up their sleeves and get a COVID shot.
A vaccination lottery is being held to try and bolster provincial inoculation rates. More details on how Albertans can enter to win will be unveiled on Monday, June 14.
Alberta residents over the age of 18 who have received at least one dose of vaccine can register to be entered in the first draw for a prize of $1 million.
Registration will close one week after 70% of eligible Albertans have received a first dose. The winner will be drawn when Stage 3 of Alberta’s Open for Summer Plan begins.
Two subsequent draws, for $1 million each, will take place in August and September for those who have been fully vaccinated with two doses.
A vaccination lottery isn’t something new. Several U.S. states have held similar lotteries to try and get shots into arms. Last week Manitoba was the first Canadian province to announce a lotto which gives away a combination of prizes and scholarships.
Premier Jason Kenney says we just need one final push to get to that 70% plateau which will trigger the two week wait to a full provincial reopening and the dropping of all restrictions.
“If you’ve been waiting to book or you’ve been looking for a reason to get the shot, here it is,” said Kenney in a news release on Sunday.
As of Sunday, more than 68.5% of eligible Albertans had received a first dose, including 19.2% who are fully vaccinated with two doses.
Given current projections, Alberta will hit that all-important 70% mark by June 17 or 18, meaning we could be fully open by the first few days of July.