Of big bucks and Baby Dog.
Gov. Jim Justice took the pandemic to the pocketbook on Thursday afternoon, promising an array of prize giveaways for West Virginians who have been vaccinated against COVID – or about to be.
The prize offerings will feature million-dollar payouts, pickup truck giveaways and the awarding of college scholarships.
It’s all part of a program to incentivize residents into becoming fully vaccinated against the lethal contagion, he said.
“I wouldn’t dink around with this,” he said, during a briefing with reporters.
“There’s going to be some many wonderful prizes that can win – that’ll blow you away.”
Drawings will begin June 20th, which is West Virginia’s birthday.
He even enlisted Baby Dog, his pet English bulldog, in the appeal.
“If you won’t it for me, if you won’t do it for your family, you’ve got to do it for Baby Dog,” he said, presenting the squirming and grunting pooch to cameras as part of the canine pitch.
“She wants you vaccinated so badly.”
Justice said he was inspired by the state of Ohio to engineer the giveaways, which include the awarding of 10 Rocky Ridge model Ford F-150 pickup trucks and an array of “big cash prizes,” as he described them.
“We’re going to make some West Virginians millionaires,” the governor said.
The prizes will be bankrolled from CARES Act monies and other sources, he said.
Justice was vague on the details, though, telling reporters that fiscal particulars were still being worked through.
Even before Thursday’s announcement, however, Justice said residents have been working through what he hopes the prize packages will inspire even more.
That is, they’ve been rolling up their sleeves for their COVID shots.
More than 73% of residents 65 and older are now fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
A total 40.6% of West Virginians 12 and older are also currently inoculated against COVID, the DHHR said.
Since Justice’s last briefing, 10 more residents have died from COVID, including a 39-year-old man from Wood County, whose passing tamped down a bit on the overall lighthearted tone of Thursday’s proceedings.
James Hoyer, the retired major general leading the state’s coronavirus task force, showed a brief flare of anger at that death, in particular.
“There is no damned reason for us to not get vaccinated and protect each other and protect ourselves,” he said.
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