The city of Long Beach will continue offering incentives this week in hopes of encouraging people get receive a COVID-19 vaccine, with Apple Airpods added to the prize pool, officials announced Monday.
Through Saturday, anyone who receives their first vaccine dose at a Long Beach city-run vaccination center will be entered for a chance to win their choice of Apple Airpods or a two-night stay at a local hotel.
Hotels participating in the program this week include Courtyard Long Beach Downtown, Golden Sails Hotel, Hyatt Regency Long Beach, Hyatt Centric Long Beach, Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown and Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport.
Last week, the city offered the two-night hotel stays or Nintendo Switch games as incentives. The city previously offered admission to the Aquarium of the Pacific, doling out about 5,700 tickets.
Last week, LA County offered Los Angeles Lakers season tickets as part of its “Vaccination Sweepstakes.“
On May 21, the last day the city released COVID-19 statistics, Long Beach reported 13 new cases, two less hospitalizations, and no new deaths from week-to-week.
“We’ve seen success in our incentive program to date, and many residents when receiving the vaccine mention the incentives,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “We appreciate our community partners for helping in this effort and encouraging more people to get vaccinated.”
According to the city, since it began offering incentives, vaccination appointments have doubled.
Over the weekend, Los Angeles County offered an incentive program at its sites, giving everyone who received their first dose at a county- or Los Angeles city-run site a chance to win Laker season tickets. The Hollywood Pantages Theatre had a pair of “Hamilton” tickets up for grabs at its pop-up vaccine clinic on Saturday.
Long Beach on Monday also announced another way people can get vaccinated. Beginning Monday and continuing each weekday, the city will operate an evening vaccine clinic at the Long Beach City College Pacific Coast Campus. The clinic will operate from 5 to 8 p.m. in Parking Lot One, on the corner of Orange Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway.
City officials said the site will be able to administer up to 300 doses per day, and shots are available on a walk-up or appointment basis. The city also operates a large-scale vaccine site at the Long Beach Convention Center, as well as mobile clinics at Admiral Kidd, MacArthur and Houghton parks.
