West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Launches More Vaccine Prize Giveaways As COVID-19 Tightens Grip
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Friday launched a second round of vaccination sweepstakes, this time with prizes aimed at enticing younger residents to sign up for COVID-19 shots as the pandemic continues to worsen.
The first of six weekly drawings will be held Aug. 31. Registration will open next Monday. All residents must register again for the new drawings, even if they were registered for the first series of prizes earlier this summer, Justice said at a news conference.
The prizes include season ticket packages to West Virginia University and Marshall sporting events, ski lift tickets and a 10-year supply of free gas. Also being given away each week will be a $150,000 dream wedding, a luxury sports car, a custom fishing boat, ATVs or high-end lawnmowers and college scholarships for residents ages 12 to 25.
The governor's announcement came as the number of people hospitalized statewide from COVID-19 reached 447, the most since late January. There have been more than 1,350 positive virus cases reported statewide in the past two days alone.
Cases of the more contagious delta variant of the disease are now present in at least 46 of the state's 55 counties, according to state health data.
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