TORONTO -- New Jersey residents can now receive a free beer for proof of COVID-19 vaccination, as part of the state鈥檚 new vaccine incentive program.
On Monday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that participating New Jersey-based breweries would give people aged 21 and older a free beer if they had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in May.
鈥淎ll you have to do is show up at any of the partnered breweries鈥ith your vaccine card that says you got your vaccine in May and we鈥檒l put a little, tiny note on your card that says you got your free beer here, and we鈥檒l give you your beer, simple as that,鈥 Scott Wells, co-owner of Bolero Snort Brewery in Carlstadt, N.J., told 麻豆影视 Channel on Tuesday.
There are currently 13 breweries participating in the program, with more anticipated to join.
鈥淎 lot of local businesses are mobilizing right now. We鈥檝e had some bars in the state join on to similar programs like this,鈥 said Wells. 鈥淩ight now we have state officials working on parking vaccine vans at some of our breweries鈥he response has been overwhelming, people are very excited about the program.鈥
New Jersey is not the first state to launch a vaccine incentive program like this. West Virginia and Connecticut both introduced their own vaccination reward campaigns, with Connecticut offering a similar free alcoholic drink for people who are fully vaccinated.
Across the U.S., daily vaccination rates have begun to slow, leaving many states and health officials focused on promoting and encouraging vaccination.
鈥淲e wanted to be able to just encourage people to come and get their shots now that they鈥檙e available,鈥 Wells said.
Just over are fully vaccinated, with 44 per cent of the population having received one dose. Experts say that encouraging vaccination is key to ensuring that COVID-19 cases continue to decline across the country and that businesses can safely reopen.
Wells says that residents are looking forward to returning to normal life. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly exciting to see the area getting back to normal. We鈥檙e absolutely thrilled about it.鈥
