//North Carolina to start COVID-19 vaccine lottery

North Carolina to start COVID-19 vaccine lottery

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to announce a new statewide incentive program to get people to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to WRAL in Raleigh, Cooper’s new program will involve a cash drawing similar to the programs in Ohio and several other states. Anyone who takes the COVID-19 vaccine would be eligible for the lottery but details are still being worked out, like if residents would have to opt-in, or if the state would use its vaccination database to pick winners.

This new program comes as the state’s vaccination rate has leveled off and a pilot program that offered $25 cash cards in four counties showed promise in convincing some people to take the shot. Cooper is scheduled to hold a press conference at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Local clinics, like the ones operated by StarMed Healthcare, said the $25 cash cards led to a significant increase in vaccinations.

“That’s why we are looking at all of these incentives to try to get more people vaccinated,” Cooper said. “We are not alone in this. Almost every state has faced a plateau that they’ve hit right now, so we’ve got to keep working and hope we can get there eventually.”