New York Offers $5 Million Lottery Tickets for Those Who Will Get COVID-19 Vaccine

New York will provide $20 scratch-off lottery tickets for individuals who choose to be vaccinated, with a maximum payout of $5 million. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that if New Yorkers receive vaccination next week, they will get the chance to win up to $5-million. Inoculations next week will be accompanied by free scratch-off lottery tickets worth $20. They also have the opportunity to win small prizes and a multimillion-dollar payment.

New York has Ten Vaccination Sites

There are currently ten vaccination sites in the state. According to Cuomo, New York has vaccinated approximately 43 percent of its population. However, inoculation numbers are "slowing dramatically," reported Axios.

Unvaccinated people in the United States are advised to keep wearing face masks in public, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's top health adviser. He added there is "understandable confusion" after health authorities eased guidelines on masks for fully inoculated people, reported Bloomberg.

Cuomo remarked the pilot program at the state-run sites would proffer prizes between $20 and $5 million, running from Monday to May 28. According to the governor, there is a one in nine chance of winning a scratch ticket prize in NY. The state is joining states including Ohio that have similar lottery vaccine incentives, reported Federal News Network.

The plan seeks to bolster slowing vaccination rates in New York. Cuomo said at a press conference in Buffalo that it is a win-win situation for everyone.

The state also plans to set up pop-up vaccination sites at seven airports across New York for US residents, including airport workers. New York's vaccination rate is above the national average of 37.8 percent.

The program is named "Vax & Scratch." Cuomo said New York "will make decisions from there." Only residents from 18 years old and above are eligible, according to a press release.

According to the NY governor, the pace of vaccinations has slowed. New York has recorded an average of 123,806 daily doses in arms in the past 14 days. This number is down 43 percent from 216,040 as of April 12.

European Union Vaccine Certificates

Meanwhile, the European Union set forth a plan for EU-wide inoculation certificates. This bolstered chances of a summer tourism rebound. The tally of British cases of a concerning virus variant from India more than doubled for a second week. It added fresh dubiousness over plans to unlock the economy fully.

The vaccination certificates are designated to let people travel within the European Union without having to self-isolate. The 27 EU governments and European Parliament representatives agreed on the plan. The plan necessitates a formal approval process before taking effect at the end of June.

Evidence of vaccination issued by non-European governments will be received as well. The European Union will soon enable quarantine-free travel for inoculated visitors from non-EU countries deemed safe.