Rich Canadians Are Flying to Florida in Private Jets to Get Vaccinated

[Celerity]

A number of well-to-do Canadians who live part-time in the U.S. to evade winter could get vaccinated in Florida and Arizona before teachers and grocery store clerks.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7andv/rich-canadians-are-flying-to-florida-in-private-jets-to-get-vaccinated



Rich Canadian snowbirds, people who evade cold winters by living part-time in warmer climates, are flying to Florida to get the COVID-19 vaccine—some even chartering private jets—as Canada’s vaccine campaign continues its slow and confusing rollout. In Florida, everyone over the age of 65, including people without U.S. citizenship, are able to schedule vaccination appointments at no cost. Vaccine demand is so high in Florida that it’s difficult to secure a spot, CTV News reported.

CTV spoke with a couple who paid to get on a private flight, which can cost between $2,500 and $4,000 per seat or tens of thousands of dollars for an entire plane. The couple cited mental health as the main impetus to fly to the U.S. “Instead of waiting here in Canada for God knows how long, I could go down to Florida and get vaccinated,” 65-year-old Ontarian, Jeff Lerner, told the National Post. According to the Post, Lerner and his wife, also 65, are considering travelling to their gated community in Boca Raton, just north of Miami. Similarly, Canadians snowbirds over the age of 65 will be eligible to get vaccinated for free in Arizona in the coming weeks.

Canada’s vaccination timeline is nebulous, with few Canadians, including seniors and many essential workers, knowing when they’ll be eligible to get jabbed in the arm. Experts have repeatedly called on Canada’s federal and provincial governments to speed up the vaccine rollout and to publicize concrete plans. For now, officials are scrambling to figure out how to administer the two-dose vaccines, particularly Pfizer’s, which has to be stored in -70 C. Doctors also say the lack of official communication makes it difficult for Canadians to trust the rollout.

As of Friday, about 248,348 of Canada’s initial 545,250 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered across the country. In Florida, 384,223 people had received at least one of two vaccine doses as of Thursday. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly urged snowbirds to stay home. “It is safer for people to stay at home, in Canada,” Trudeau told reporters earlier this week. “I understand that people are still looking at travel but we discourage it strongly.” Trudeau said there won’t be mass repatriation efforts to bring people abroad back home if they become stranded this year. He has also said international travellers who get sick after they return are not eligible for financial subsidies.

snip

[secondwind]

1. They own property in FL. I imagine they pay taxes....

I have mixed feelings about this. There’s a lot worse things going on at the moment.

[JDC]

2. America First! Unless you're rich and have a jet

[bullwinkle428]

3. Like we've always said, America has the best health care money can buy.

[superpatriotman]

4. 65 countries...

..."But it’s not just part-time residents who are making trips to get the vaccine. Residents over 65 from countries like Argentina, Canada and Brazil are also accessing South Florida’s vaccine portals in hopes of scoring a shot."

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article248347830.html

[Celerity]

5. a free-for-all for the 0.1%

sigh