As COVID-19 hospitalizations climb, St. Louis is offering incentives for some of its employees to get immunized and thousands are registering for a statewide vaccine lottery. St. Louis said in a news release Tuesday that nearly 6,000 of its workers will be eligible to receive $100 in gift cards and can use paid time off to get vaccinated.
The announcement comes one day after a mask mandate took effect in the city and St. Louis County amid a rise in cases. Missouri has the nation’s fourth-worst COVID-19 diagnosis rate over the past week, with one in every 360 people diagnosed with COVID-19.