PROVINCE NOT GIVING UP ON VACCINE-HESITANT

Alberta is on track to spend more than $15 million to directly pay vaccine-hesitant residents to get the COVID-19 shot. The province said that more than 152,000 Albertans have signed up to receive the $100 preloaded debit card in return for getting the vaccine. The promotion ends Thursday night. Premier Jason Kenney introduced the debit card in September to entice more vaccine-hesitant Albertans to sign on and boost the province’s lagging vaccination numbers. The card, along with other measures such as a modified vaccine passport, have lifted Alberta’s numbers to within two percentage points of the national averages. The province reported 606 new cases on Monday, down from 1,085 on Friday. Over four days 33 people died, including a 14-yearold.