New Jersey offering free beer for COVID-19 vaccine recipients
Thirteen New Jersey-based breweries are participating in the program
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced a new program Monday designed to incentivize state residents to get vaccinated by offering them free beer.
"We’re not going to be afraid to try new things," Murphy said as he unveiled the program, dubbed "Shot and a Beer," at a press briefing.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Phil Murphy, New Jersey's governor, speaks at a news conference after touring the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center Covid-19 vaccination site in Edison, New Jersey, U.S., on Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. (Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg via Getty Images).
Thirteen New Jersey-based breweries are participating in the program that's only available to residents in the state ages 21 years and older, Murphy noted. Any resident who received their first jab before the beginning of May is not eligible to participate.
"Any New Jerseyan who gets their first vaccine dose in the month of May and takes their vaccination card to a participating brewery will receive a free beer," Murphy wrote on Twitter.
The program was part of Murphy's plan to increase vaccination numbers, so the state can reach its goal of 4.7 million vaccinated residents by the end of June, reports said. As of Monday, about 3.2 million residents are fully vaccinated, according to the latest numbers from the New Jersey Health Department.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The focus of the drive is to get as many new vaccinations as possible," Dan Bryan, a spokesperson for the governor, told ABC News.
The Garden State isn't alone in providing an out-of-the-box solution to incentivize residents to get vaccinated.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Connecticut is also offering free booze through its "Drinks On Us" campaign. Gov. Ned Lamont announced last month that residents who get vaccinated and show their vaccination card will get a free drink between May 19 to May 31 at participating restaurants across Connecticut.
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"This is the place to be and drinks are on us. What more can you ask for?" Lamont said. "We want to do everything we can to encourage you to get vaccinated."