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- 75,000 Louisiana college students will receive $100 for getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
- Details of the incentive program will vary depending on participating institutions.
- Louisiana just broke the record for the highest number of new cases in one day ever, a local outlet reported.
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Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Health announced an incentive program called "Shot for 100" that will give students at participating colleges $100 for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Friday press release.
The first 75,000 students at participating campuses in Louisiana to get vaccinated will receive a Visa gift card through the program. All higher education institutions are eligible – from 4-year to 2-year to technical schools. Details will vary by institution, but students should hear more within the coming days.
Just over 37% of Louisiana's population have been fully vaccinated, and 45.6% have received at least one dose, according to the Center for Disease Control. There were a record-breaking 7,548 new cases on Friday – the highest number of new cases in one day ever, and 91% of those cases are in unvaccinated people, as reported by a local news outlet WWL-TV.
"With the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant and its devastating impact on our communities including younger populations, we are seeing more young people go sleeves up," said Gov. Edwards. "And that's good. More than anything, students want an in-person college experience. But to do that safely, we need more shots in arms."
"It's in everyone's interest that our young people get the COVID vaccine – to protect themselves, their families and friends, and their larger communities."