California provides trip incentive to spur vaccinations – KIRO 7 Information Seattle

SACRAMENTO, Calif .– (AP) – California will be offering six “dream vacation” incentives to encourage more people to get the coronavirus vaccination, Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday, on the eve of the state’s $ 15 cash award Million dollars.

Aside from boosting California’s vaccination rate as most of the pandemic restrictions are lifted on Tuesday, the latest move is aimed at hibernating the Golden State’s travel and tourism industry after more than a year in virtual hibernation due to stay at home orders and travel restrictions to crank.

The tourism industry “had a sledgehammer,” Newsom said.

Tourism revenue fell from a record $ 145 billion in 2019 to $ 65 billion last year when California imposed some of the country’s toughest restrictions.

But Newsom said it was safe to return as the state has one of the lowest virus transmission rates in the country, with nearly 40 million people.

In San Francisco, 80% of eligible city residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, and nearly 70% are fully vaccinated. This makes it the first major American city to reach this threshold, Mayor London Breed said on Monday.

Newsom spoke in San Francisco, one of six vacation packages offered by various donors through Visit California, the state’s nonprofit travel promotion division.

Others will be Anaheim in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, and at a luxury hotel in Palm Springs. Newsom hastily added that he has never visited the luxury hotel, a caveat that comes after being widely criticized for patronizing an upscale Napa Valley restaurant during the pandemic.

The goodies in the package include floor seats at an NBA game with the LA Lakers, plus tickets to Disneyland, Legoland, SeaWorld and a symphony, he said.

They are part of “a range of spectacular items and packages and experiences, including dining experiences, that truly bring out the best of California,” said Newsom.

Visit California will also provide $ 2,000 travel allowance to each winner, Newsom said.

Eligible are Californians who are at least 18 years old and at least partially vaccinated.

Newsom is also proposing $ 95 million in government funding to help a hospitality and tourism sector that lost nearly half of its 1.2 million jobs at one point during the pandemic. The investment could accelerate the resumption of more than 300,000 jobs within a year, he predicted.

Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of Visit California, said California is less ready for tourism than other states, especially Florida, because it has put in more safety precautions that Newsom and other officials said are good for the economy as well for the health of worthwhile Californians.

She predicted it will take California another four years to fully recover, especially as business and convention travel is expected to take more time to return.

Meanwhile, Newsom said he expected California labor inspectors to allow employees to self-certify that they have been vaccinated this week.

Fully vaccinated employees would not be required to wear masks according to rules considered Thursday by the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. Newsom said it would then issue an executive order to take those rules into effect immediately and bypass a normal 10-day legal review.

The methods of employer screening are not listed in the draft regulations published on Friday.

But board members confirmed Monday that employers would have options, including being asked to provide proof of vaccination; asking everyone to remain masked, vaccinated, or not; or give workers the opportunity to self-certify their vaccination status, with the employer keeping a record of who is self-certifying.

“Self-certification is a necessary option to help businesses – especially small businesses – stay out of the murky waters of checking vaccinations when workers may have lost their vaccination cards,” said Robert Moutrie, a California political attorney Chamber of Commerce.

Monday’s new price announcement adds to a week-long effort to lure those who refused to get the vaccines.

Newsom will oversee a drawing on Tuesday in which 10 people who have been vaccinated will each win $ 1.5 million.

On the same day, Newsom lifted its home stay order and lifted most restrictions on businesses, including not allowing fully vaccinated people to wear masks in most circumstances.

He said the state began offering the incentives after California and the nation saw a decline in the number of first vaccinations. Doses administered have increased 13.8% from week to week since the prize draws began, he said.

“We are confident that these vaccination incentives have worked. So we want to continue with the vacation packages with this in mind, ”he said.

The awards ceremonies, streamed online, are in the form of game shows, with Newsom hosting 30 prizes worth $ 50,000. The state also gives $ 50 gift certificates to 2 million people who are vaccinated.

Newsom, a Democrat, faces a likely recall election this fall, largely due to his handling of the pandemic, and his Republican challengers have claimed prices are a taxpayer-paid way for him to increase his popularity. However, other governors from both parties have introduced similar incentives.

To help those who need to prove they have been vaccinated, the state will reveal later this week what Newsom says will be a way for people to present “an electronic version of your paper version” of the vaccine verification card.

“It’s not a passport, it’s not a requirement,” he said without giving any details.

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