New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference, Monday, May 10, 2021 in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)
By Marina Villenueve
Anyone who gets vaccinated at select state-run vaccination sites in New York next week will receive a lottery scratch ticket with prizes potentially worth millions, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo tries to boost slowing vaccination rates.
The pilot program will offer prizes from $20 up to $5 million and run from Monday, May 24 to Friday, May 28 at 10 state-run sites, Cuomo said Thursday.
“It's a situation where everyone wins,” Cuomo said at a press conference in Buffalo.
The governor said there's a one in nine chance of winning a scratch ticket prize in New York, which is joining other states, including Ohio, with similar lottery incentives. Only residents 18 and older are eligible, according to a press release.
New York also plans to set up pop-up vaccination sites at seven airports across the state for U.S. residents, including airport workers.
New York has fully vaccinated about 43% of its 20 million residents, above the national average of 37.8%.
Still, Cuomo said the pace of vaccinations has slowed: New York has recorded an average of 123,806 daily shots in arms over the past 14 days. That's down 43% from 216,040 as of April 12.
Cheddar News spoke with Big Apple Circus CEO Marty LaSalle who began as a juggler in the ring with the circus and discussed its operations, collaborations and its legacy. Cheddar News also got a chance to see juggler Noel Aguilar in action and discuss what's it like performing on the big stage.
When police responded to an alarm call at a TJ Maxx in Rockland, Maine on Thanksgiving Day last week, they weren't sure what exactly they would find. The alarm hadn't been tripped by a burglar but instead, it was a different kind of break-in -- a white-tailed deer.
