St. Pete gives away free downtown parking spots to those getting COVID-19 shots

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The city of St. Petersburg is continuing to encourage residents to get a COVID-19 vaccine to help slow the spread within the community. 

On Sunday, those who stopped by City Hall to get their shot also received a free parking spot in one of the two parking garages in downtown St. Petersburg for the next month. 

The incentive was part of the ‘Poke and Park’ event the city hosted with the hopes of encouraging residents to get the vaccine. 

Currently, over 60% of the eligible population in Pinellas County has been fully vaccinated. However, with a positivity rate of just over 20% over the past week in the county, and as the delta variant continues to spread, St. Pete officials still want more people to get their shot.

"We’re seeing numbers rising in the wrong direction. While we have a great vaccination outpouring, we want more people to come out. We want everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated in our community to be so so that we can move forward and be a healthy, whole community that comes together again," said St. Petersburg Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin. 

The first 500 people at Sunday’s event received free parking for the month and though the incentive is no longer being offered, free vaccination locations are still available to the public. For more information, visit  https://covid19.pinellascounty.org/vaccines/.

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