ANNAPOLIS, Md. — More than 2 million Maryland residents will now be eligible to win cash prizes in a new lottery drawing rewarding fully vaccinated individuals. Gov. Larry Hogan announced the launch of the "VaxCash 2.0" program Tuesday, which will offer big paydays to boosted Marylanders.
Starting Feb. 15, the Maryland Lottery will randomly pick and award one boosted Marylander each week for 12 straight weeks. The first drawing next Tuesday will kick-off with an initial $500,000 drawing. Winners in weeks two-11 will receive $50,000. The grand prize week 12 winner will get $1 million.
In order to qualify, you must:
- Be a Maryland resident
- Be 18 or older
- Get both your primary COVID vaccine dose and booster shot in Maryland
- Have a booster shot by Monday, Feb. 14
Hogan said the lottery was created to encourage all Marylanders to get their booster shots, just like the initial system launched last Memorial Day to encourage getting vaccinated.
“The biggest takeaway from the omicron surge is just how critically important it is to get a booster shot," Hogan said.
Gov. Hogan said the state of Maryland has administered 2.1 million booster shots. However, the governor noted that while booster rates among seniors are more than 70%, that rate dips down to around 50% for all adults ages 18 and older.
Hogan also provided a positive update on the state's COVID metrics. The state's positivity rate, which peaked in January at more than 30%, is back down to 5.81% -- an 80% decline. Hogan said that number is the 5th lowest in the U.S. Hospitalizations have also decreased by 67% since the January peak of 3,500 people (now approximately 1,100). Lastly, Hogan said Maryland has the lowest case rate in the country.
RELATED: VERIFY: Who qualifies for the Maryland Vaccine Lottery, and will your information be private?
How does the state know which people have been vaccinated?
According to Maryland Lottery, this information is tracked by the Maryland Department of Health. This agency tracks the records and personal data for those who "have had COVID-19 vaccinations administered at non-federal facilities in Maryland within a secure computer system."
The information is collected in what's called the "Immunization Information System," otherwise referred to as "ImmuNet." This information is not shared with Maryland Lottery, unless the winner gives permission to do so.
If you live in Maryland but received your vaccination or booster shots in another region, such as D.C. or Virginia, you are not eligible for the lottery. The state does not have access to the vaccination records from other jurisdictions.
How will privacy be protected?
The winner's information will only be shared with Maryland Lottery if they sign the "$2 Million VaxCash Promotion Authorization Form." As with the traditional lottery, winners will have the option to remain anonymous.
"For winners from larger towns with populations of 60,000 or more, the location of the winners' hometowns will be published," wrote Maryland Lottery. "For winners from smaller towns, only the winners' home counties will be published."
Where is the money for this promotion coming from?
According to Maryland lottery, the money for this promotion comes from the Maryland Lottery's Marketing Fund. This is used "for advertising and promotions."
"The money has already been allocated to the Maryland Lottery for that purpose," the Maryland Lottery wrote. "And the VaxCash Promotion will not reduce the amount of the Maryland Lottery's contributions to public schools and other state programs."