The City of Regina and the Saskatchewan Health Authority are collaborating to offer pop-up COVID-19 walk-in vaccination clinics this summer.
Also, the first 5,000 people to get vaccinated at one of the new designated pop-up clinics will receive a complimentary ticket to Queen City Ex (QCX).
Mayor Sandra Masters says they wanted to find a way to get people motivated to get their shot, even as Saskatchewan is fully reopen.
“Summer has hit and everybody is getting relaxed because we are opened, but we really want to get closer to 85 percent vaccinated,” said Masters. “We still have to go back to school in September, we know what happens with Covid when we come indoors, so we’re trying to drive people that if haven’t taken the time, please go out and get it in July, so that we can go out and enjoy the Riders and the QCX, and get back to school.”
Masters says she wouldn’t consider this an incentive, it is a little added bonus.
“We thought a pass to QCX because we all want to get back to the fair, it’d be something exciting, and just a little bit of motivation to show up at one of the city pools and go get vaccinated, then come see us at the QCX in August,” said Masters.
REAL CEO Tim Reid says it was an easy decision to help the Mayor beat Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark in the second part of the vaccine challenge.
“We always like to compete with Saskatoon and we always like to win, and we thought we could sweeten the deal a little, as well as giving people a little added incentive that if you were thinking about getting vaccinated, go now and you’ll save yourself $17 on a QCX gate admission,” said Reid. “It’s most importantly just to remind people that opportunities like football games, and hockey games, and QCX only come if we continue to manage the challenges around COVID-19.”
The first clinic will be located outside Maple Leaf Pool, this Friday, July 23, from noon to 4:00 p.m.
The City and SHA said other locations and times will be released in the coming days.
The SHA will have limited quantities of Moderna and Pfizer on site.
Health cards and identification will need to be presented before receiving a vaccine.
On Thursday, numbers released show that just over 60 percent of all eligible Canadians are now fully vaccinated.
