Biden launches new COVID-19 incentives in 'national month of action’ to get Americans vaccinated by July 4

Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Delivers Economic Policy Speech In Scranton, PA(Rick Loomis/Getty Images)

By Hanna Park

(WASHINGTON) President Joe Biden officially declared June a "national month of action" along with a slew of new incentives, including free beer, childcare, and sports tickets to urge more Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 4.

"Vaccines are developed over a decade of research in similar viruses... the bottom line is this — I promise you — they are safe," Biden said, speaking from the White House on Wednesday.

The president announced an early summer sprint of incentives to ease barriers to get inoculated, such as recruiting 1,000 Black-owned barbershops and beauty salons across the country as part of a major effort to boost outreach among communities of color.

"We need you to get your friends, family and coworker vaccinated," Biden said. "If you get a shot this week, you can be fully vaccinated by the week of July 4th and you can celebrate Independence Day free from fear or worry."

Four of the nation’s largest child care providers will also offer free child care to parents and caregivers getting vaccinated or recovering from vaccination next month.

Other incentives arranged by his administration include:

• Uber and Lyft to offer free rides to vaccination sites
• CVS-run sweepstakes to win free cruises
• Tickets to Super Bowl LVI and the Major League Baseball games for those vaccinated at stadiums
• Door Dash gift cards
• Xboxes distributed by Microsoft through Boys and Girls Clubs in hard-hit areas
• Free groceries from Kroger
• United Airlines-run sweepstakes to win a year of free flights

Vice President Harris will also lead a “We Can Do This” national vaccination tour to encourage shots, focusing on the South, where vaccination rates are among the lowest in the country. Harris will be joined by first lady Jill Biden, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Cabinet officials.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the U.S. would distribute millions of coronavirus vaccines worldwide, including in Latin America, which has struggled to obtain supplies amid rising hospitalization rates.

In early May, Biden has held the Fourth of July as a date where he hopes the country will draw a step closer to normalcy by reaching 70% of adults with at least one shot of the vaccine and 160 million adults to be fully vaccinated.

Almost 63% of adults, but only about half of the entire U.S. population, have received at least one dose, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The country still has to vaccinate about 20 million adults to reach Biden’s goal by July 4.

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