New York State COVID-19 vaccine incentives (2021), including Excelsior Pass

New York State's May 2021 "Vax & Scratch" pilot, issued by the Office of the Governor, offered a free lottery scratch-off at selected mass-vaccination sites, with a grand prize of $5 million (governor.ny.gov, May 20, 2021). Excelsior Pass, launched March 26, 2021, was a voluntary proof of vaccination or a recent negative test.

Excelsior Pass is a New York State COVID-19 credential from 2021, not the hiking trail of a similar name in Washington. This page has no picture of a state poster. New York materials are not carried here as images.

Vax & Scratch

On May 20, 2021 the Governor of New York announced a pilot. People 18 and older who took a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, at one of ten state mass-vaccination sites from May 24 through May 28 would receive a free $20 New York Lottery scratch-off ticket. The release states a grand prize of $5 million and says the program would not affect education funding. The quoted line from that release is: "This new pilot program will offer a greater incentive for New Yorkers to get vaccinated by offering a free scratch-off ticket for a chance to win up to $5 million."

On May 28, 2021 the same office said the offer would run at ten further sites from May 31 through June 4, again from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., for the same ticket. The release names sites including the Javits Center and Aqueduct. The full site list is on the May 28 release.

Excelsior Pass (New York COVID-19 pass, 2021)

On March 26, 2021 the Governor of New York announced the launch of Excelsior Pass, a free voluntary platform developed with IBM. The release says a person could store or print a pass whose QR code let a participating business confirm a recent negative PCR or antigen test or proof of vaccination. It says the pass was to be used at larger events that week, including Madison Square Garden and the Times Union Center in Albany, and that smaller arts and entertainment venues would follow on April 2. A March 2, 2021 release had described pilots at Barclays Center on February 27 and at Madison Square Garden on March 2. The March 26 release calls the launch the first formal statewide start after those pilots.

Excelsior Pass is a credential for venues. It is not the scratch-off. City programs, including the Key to NYC order, are on the New York City page. The cross-state table is on COVID-19 vaccine incentives in the United States.