In a bid to encourage teenagers and 18 to 30 year olds to get on board the Covid-19 vaccination train, the government has joined forces with private companies offering incentives, ranging from airline tickets and football season tickets to purchase vouchers for gadgets.
The Commissioner for the Citizen Panayiotis Sentonas was expected to announce the incentives for youngsters on Friday night together with Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas while announcing the tightening of measures to stem a fourth wave of the virus.
However, the Presidency beat the commissioner to it, posting the incentives on its webpage on Friday afternoon, shared by the Youth Organisation.
The incentive scheme dubbed #BeSafe is part of the government’s broader strategy to encourage people to get vaccinated, increasing the immunity wall in the community, allowing for everyone to return to a “functional normality with safety”.
The scheme addresses young people aged 18 to 30, and includes coupons for tech gadgets, plane tickets to the Greek islands, and season tickets for top-flight football clubs. Gifts to youngsters will be handed out after a draw.
Eligible for the scheme are youth who have had at least the first jab of a COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the Presidency, some 2,025 season tickets will up for grabs, 1,235 for first division teams, 270 for second division clubs, and 500 for the games of the Cyprus national squad in 2021 and 2022.
Furthermore, the Cyprus Telecommunication Authority is offering 5,000 gift vouchers worth €20 each.
Bank of Cyprus is offering 2,000 discount coupons at tech retail stores Public, worth €50 each, redeemable through the bank’s cards.
Cyprus Airways will be offering 150 air tickets for any destination on its schedule.
TUS Airways will be chipping in another 100 air tickets to the Greek islands. All air tickets offered by the two airliners do not include airport taxes.
The CTC Group offers 400 coupons for €50 worth of purchases at the Superhome Center DIY, CTC Automotive Ltd, and Ermes Department Stores.
Telecom provider Epic is offering 5GB mobile data to any youth who gets vaccinated and is already or becomes a subscriber of the company.
Cablenet offers a 20% discount to any vaccinated youth who chooses to join their subscribers’ list.
The Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) offers 100 annual subscriptions for all the organisation’s performances.
Fashion outlet Zara will be handing out 100 coupons worth €50 each.
The Crown Plaza Hotel in Limassol is offering 100 coupons of €25 each for the use of their swimming pool, spa and gym.
Easy Slim Ltd. is offering 2,000 wellness and fitness programmes worth €260 each.
Finally, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has pledged €500,000 worth of incentives, with details to be announced later.
