SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — In addition to millions of dollars in prizes and dream vacations already announced, California is adding theme park fun to its list of incentives for residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced from Six Flags Magic Mountain that the state has partnered with Six Flags to offer 50,000 free tickets to Californians who receive at least their first dose of the vaccine starting June 16 at participating clinics, as part of the "Vax for the Win" program.
"We’re fully reopening California’s economy, but we’re not letting up on our efforts to get more Californians vaccinated – especially in our hardest-hit communities – so we can all safely get back to the activities and places we love, including our state’s iconic landmarks," said Newsom. "Getting every eligible Californian vaccinated is how we maintain our incredible progress and bring our state roaring back from this pandemic."
San Diego County was not included in the list of participating locations. Clinics are located in Alameda, Contra Costa, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Solano, Sutter, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo, Yuba counties. For a full list of locations, click here.
The tickets are valid through September 6 at any of the four Six Flags parks in California.
The theme park tickets, a $4.5 million value, are just the latest in a list of glamorous incentives California has rolled out to entice residents to get the coronavirus vaccine. Tuesday, the state drew 10 recipients for a portion of $116.5 million in prize money. That giveaway came on the heels of two previous drawings awarding 30 winners, including four in San Diego County, $50,000 each.
The state has also announced a drawing on July 1 for dream vacation packages to San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Palm Springs.
State officials said that California has been one of the only states in the country to achieve a week-over-week increase in the rate of vaccinations as part of its vaccine incentive programs.
As of June 15, California had partially vaccinated 10.7% of eligible residents and fully vaccinated 55.9% of eligible residents.
Tuesday, the state lifted its reopening tier system on businesses, eliminating physical distancing and capacity limits at businesses, though, some mask requirements remain in place.
