CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice said Tuesday there are no plans to discontinue the COVID-19 vaccination sweepstakes even with the leveling off of vaccination numbers in the Mountain State.
During his media briefing Tuesday at the state capitol, Justice said the incentives were still worth the effort even though the state has recorded less than 5,300 vaccinations during the past week.
“We gotta continue to try. There’s no reason whatsoever, whatsoever to call off what we’ve got out there and what we’re doing,” Justice said. “State after state after state is doing exactly the same thing or even more that what we’re doing.”
The next round of winners will be announced June 30. The sweepstakes that include cash and prizes continue through the first week of August. West Virginia is using federal pandemic relief money to fund the prizes than include the giveaway of $1 million a week, new trucks, hunting rifles and shotguns, lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, college scholarships and state park vacations.
New vaccination numbers from the Centers for Disease Control show approximately 52% of the state’s eligible population have been fully vaccinated. The numbers include 70% of those over the age of 50 who have been fully vaccinated. Those numbers drop down significantly for those under the age of 50.
Justice said those who haven’t been vaccinated are taking a deadly chance.
“It’s the death lottery,” Justice said.
He said some residents aren’t taking the risk seriously.
“If a bunch of, bunch of, bunch of folks that hadn’t had their vaccines started dying, a bunch of them, you’d see a real response. We wouldn’t need to be giving away lifetime hunting and fishing license and trucks–you’d see people running to get the vaccine,” Justice said.
State InterAgency Task Force Director Jim Hoyer also urged more younger residents Tuesday to agree to be vaccinated.
“You want to be in the right lottery West Virginia,” Hoyer said. “You don’t want to be in the one that puts you in the hospital, the one that potentially causes you to lose your life. You want to go out and be vaccinated if you haven’t been vaccinated.”
Hoyer said there’s a “lot of work to do” when it comes to vaccinating those between the ages of 18-29 and 29-50.
Hoyer did announce Tuesday COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped below 100 patients for the first time in nearly a year.
“This is the first time since July 23, 2020 that we’ve been below a hundred,” Hoyer said.