With bars of gold, a diamond Rolex, and a $100,000 shopping spree already up for consideration, Hong Kong residents can now stand a chance to win a Tesla car or an apartment in the world’s most expensive property market by just getting the vaccine.
As the delta variant spreads around the world, the appeal for people to get vaccinated is becoming more urgent than ever. Governments and private businesses are experimenting with a variety of strategies to encourage people to get vaccinated.
While the evidence that such inexpensive technology is useful is still shaky, it is intended to provide a much-needed boost to individuals who are postponing their vaccinations.
However, in Hong Kong, the number of residents properly vaccinated against COVID-19 has increased by nearly 2 million over the past seven weeks, coinciding with the implementation of several other private sector incentives.
Where the evidence suggests an increase, the reasons for this are difficult to explain. However, most experts think the incentives are worth following because history has shown that health messages alone are insufficient.
Shots are available in Hong Kong, and they are free to everyone under the age of 12. However, the rollout has been hampered by a lack of confidence in the Beijing-backed leadership and concerns about side effects. After struggling to persuade hesitant citizens in an atmosphere of suspicion following large anti-China protests in 2019, the Beijing-backed administration now relies on local businesses and organizations to help people get vaccinated.
More than 1 million citizens who were fully vaccinated entered a drawing for a new $1.4 million apartment, 449-square-foot one-bedroom flat sponsored by China Group and Chinese Estates.
Local business leaders, eager to ensure that the city is not left behind as other financial centers emerge, have responded with a number of incentives. Daily lotteries for some of the smaller prizes, such as the iPhones, began in July, and the larger prizes came out in August and September.
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