West Virginia will be giving away guns as an incentive for more people to receive their COVID-19 vaccine, as more and more states have started their own types of lotteries in order to raise vaccination numbers.
Five custom-made hunting rifles and five custom-made shotguns will be given out by the state to any resident who has received at least one of their COVID-19 vaccines during weekly lottery drawings, beginning June 20 and running until August 4, Forbes reported.
In addition to guns, the state will also be giving away things such as full-ride scholarships, lifetime hunting and fishing licenses and $100 in gift cards to people aged 16-years-old or older who is considered fully vaccinated, according to Forbes.
West Virginia To Give Away Guns As Covid-19 Vaccine Incentive https://t.co/9QoI5jawfa pic.twitter.com/RMTqeUUnTt
— Forbes (@Forbes) June 1, 2021
As of June 1, roughly 1,792.147 or 51.1% of West Virginians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 41.2% of West Virginians are considered to be fully vaccinated, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources website.
Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced in April that the state would be giving away $100 worth of savings bonds to people who receive their COVID-19 vaccine.
States such as New York, California, Maryland and Ohio have announced their own versions of lotteries in order to incentivize more residents to get vaccinated. (RELATED: Dating Apps Now Include An Option To Say Whether You’re Vaccinated)
The White House has also partnered with organizations such as NASCAR, McDonald’s and rideshare organizations such as Uber and Lyft in order to offer incentives to encourage more people to get vaccinated.