New Yorkers could win up to $5m from the New York state lottery if they get vaccinated against Covid-19 at a state-run clinic, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday.
The new incentive, called the “Vax & Scratch”, will allow those who get vaccinated to receive a $20 lottery ticket for the $5m Mega Multiplier Lottery.
Thirteen winners will get a monetary prize ranging from $20 to $5m.
New York’s initiative is one of many incentives that have been recently launched across the US as officials search for new ways to boost the dwindling demand for Covid-19 vaccines.
Ohio offered a similar incentive two weeks ago, where residents who received their first jab could win one of five $1m prizes. Thus far, Ohio has seen an increase in vaccinations after weeks of decline.
In New Jersey, residents 21 and older can get a free beer after receiving their first vaccination. In Alabama, residents who received a vaccine or Covid test were able to take a free drive on the famed Talladega Superspeedway.
Joe Biden’s goal is to have at least one vaccine dose administered to 70% of the country’s adult population by 4 July. But despite an early surge in demand, vaccination rates have been dropping in recent weeks.
At least 38.1% of Americans are fully vaccinated. In New York, at least 42.9% of the population has received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine.
This content first appear on the guardian