Topline
Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) announced Monday that New Jerseyans who get their first coronavirus vaccine shot this month are eligible to receive a free beer, with the Garden State hoping this promotion will increase participation in its vaccination rollout.
“We’re not going to be afraid to try new things,” Gov. Murphy said during Monday's Covid-19 ... [+]
Key Facts
Any resident 21 and older can take their vaccination card to one of 13 participating breweries throughout the state as part of the “shot and beer” program.
“We’re not going to be afraid to try new things,” Murphy said during Monday’s Covid-19 briefing.
Approximately 46% of the state’s adult population has been fully vaccinated as of Monday afternoon, according to New Jersey’s Immunization Information System.
Gov. Murphy has said his goal is to have 70% of the state’s eligible population fully vaccinated by June 30.
Key Background:
As the rate of new infections in the United States continues to drop, the supply of available vaccine shots in the country has begun to outpace demand. As a result, local governments and private businesses have instituted initiatives to encourage citizens, who may have been hesitant or unmotivated, to get a jab. Krispy Kreme is offering a free original glazed doughnut to anyone who shows their Covid-19 vaccination record card. In Brooklyn, Junior’s Restaurant is dishing out a free mini cheesecake to anyone who shows proof of vaccination from now through Memorial Day. Nathan’s Famous will hand out a free hot dog to anyone that visits their Coney Island location on the same day they get vaccinated. Budweiser is giving away a debit card that can be redeemed for a free beer.
Tangent:
While case counts dip dramatically in the U.S., they are spiking elsewhere in the world. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, stated Monday, “More cases of Covid-19 have been reported globally in the past two weeks than during the first six months of the pandemic.” India has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, averaging more than 370,000 new infections daily over the past seven days.
Big Number:
29,367. That's the number of new cases of Covid-19 reported in the U.S. over the past day, which marks the lowest number of new infections in the county since early September.
Further Reading:
1 Billion Vaccine Doses Have Been Administered Worldwide, But Mostly In Wealthy Countries (Forbes)
India's Daily Covid Cases Soar Past 400,000 As Crisis Deepens (Forbes)
