Colorado to offer $100 Walmart gift cards to those who get vaccinated - Sentinel Colorado

DENVER | Colorado will offer $100 Walmart gift cards to people who get vaccinated, the latest in the state’s efforts to get more people vaccinated through incentives.

Currently, 71.6% of adults in the state have received at least one vaccine dose, Gov. Jared Polis said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

There are 298 people hospitalized for COVID-19 statewide, and the seven-day average for the percent of people testing positive for the virus is 3.8%. The delta variant is now responsible for the majority of new cases in Colorado, which means that unvaccinated people are “at very high risk” for contracting the virus, Polis said.

He emphasized how important the vaccine is in halting the spread of the coronavirus.

From January through the end of June, 95.7% of hospitalizations in the state were from people who were not fully vaccinated, he said.

“Even among those who get breakthrough cases, hospitalization and death are far rarer,” he said.

The state’s $1 million vaccine lottery is over, but Polis said that it will be offering $100 Walmart gift cards to people who get a first or second vaccine dose at certain sites while supplies last.

Sites include the Walmart on Colfax Avenue in Aurora from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, and the La Plaza parking lot in Aurora on Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. A full list of locations is available at cocomebackcash.com.

Joe Garcia, chancellor of the Colorado Community College System, joined the press conference to discuss a partnership with Amazon to encourage community college students to get vaccinated.

The community college system is only requiring students who live in residence halls or participate in intramural sports to get vaccinated, but is heavily encouraging all students to get the shot, Garcia said. In partnership with Amazon, vaccinated students will be entered to receive 67 partial and full scholarships.

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