NYC Kicks Off Weekly Coronavirus Vaccination Contest

NEW YORK CITY — A fresh set of prizes is coming for New Yorkers who roll up their sleeves for the coronavirus vaccine in the coming weeks.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday kicked off the New York City vaccine contest.

The contest's inaugural week will offer 50 three-day passes to the Governors Ball and 10 one-year memberships to Crunch Fitness, he said.

"This is a new contest that's going to make really great prizes available," he said. "We're going to do it every week, so every week we will announce a new contest."

More than 7.96 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have been distributed so far in the city, de Blasio said.

The number of doses is more than the population of most states, but the pace has lagged in recent weeks. Vaccination levels — which stand at 50 percent of adults and 70 percent of seniors — are still lower than what experts say is necessary for herd immunity.

Incentives have increasingly become part of city and state officials' strategy to boost the vaccination rate. Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced New Yorkers who get vaccinated at state-run mass vaccination sites like Javits Center will get a scratch off lottery ticket with a $5 million top prize.

De Blasio likewise has unveiled incentives for New Yorkers who get shots at the more numerous city-run sites, such free Shake Shack and tickets to the Bronx Zoo.

Other prizes will be part of the city's vaccine contest, which runs until July, de Blasio said. Those include tickets to concerts and Broadway shows and "staycation packages," he said.

"Real simple rules, you just need to be 18 or older and you need to book your appointment this week,” he said.