The state of West Virginia is giving away free guns, trucks, and cash prizes in a bid to encourage people to get vaccinated.
Per CNN, Governor Jim Justice announced the new vaccination incentive scheme in an official statement made on Tuesday, May 1.
Gov. Justice stated that the COVID lottery will have its first drawing for a $1 million prize on Father's Day; running every week between June 20 and August 4.
Take a look at this news report on the lottery in the video below:The Governor added that only those West Virginians who have had their first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine are eligible for the drawing.
Not only that, but the offer also includes two new custom outfitted trucks, 25 separate weekend getaways to state parks, five lifetime-long hunting and fishing licenses, five custom hunting rifles, and five custom hunting shotguns.
Per CNN, Justice also said: "You could win something that would be phenomenal. We're going to give away two full, four-year scholarships to kids that are age-eligible from 12 to 25."
He continued: "Today, on June 1, we have well in excess of 75% of our people that are 50 years of age or older that have received their first shot.
"Also today, we also hit 84% of our 65 years of age and older, and so we're 1% away from a lofty, lofty goal to have 85% of our folks vaccinated that are 65 years of age and older."
But West Virginia isn't the only state to offer potential rewards for those who have gotten themselves vaccinated.
The Independent reports that Mike DeWine, the Governor of Ohio, is running a five-week-long vaccine lottery with a $1 million prize, as well as a full, four-year college scholarship at a state university for people aged 12-17.
Meanwhile, the state of New Jersey offers vaccinated Americans free beers, while New York is offering free MetroCards for those people who received their shot at a subway vaccination site.
However, on Twitter, Governor Justice's lottery has proven divisive, with some social media users supporting the gesture, while others were more critical of it.
One skeptic wrote: "West Virginia, which has the 13th highest rate of gun deaths in the United States, is raffling rifles and shotguns to give to people who get COVID vaccines."
Another commenter then wrote: "Any vaccine against bullets?"
On the other hand, this Twitter user wrote: "Not a bad idea potentially, but they got a pass a background check."
And then this commenter defended the policy by writing: "Got to love the sanctimonious comments from people too sheltered to realize that a lot of people in West Virginia still use rifles and shotguns to put food on the table."