A man in North Carolina has repurposed his Halloween decorations to raise awareness of the ongoing dangers of coronavirus, with a grisly warning to his neighbours to get vaccinated.
ABC11 reported that attorney Jesse Jones set up the haunting display in his front garden in an attempt to urge members of the community to get their shots.
The display at his home in Raleigh features a lifesize skeleton and gravestones featuring signs such as “it wasn’t a hoax” and “I got my news from Fox”.
The phantom skeleton is seen with a sign taped to his pelvis that reads: “Not vaccinated. See you soon idiots!”.
"The fact (is) that we didn’t take this seriously," Mr Jones told the broadcaster. "My wife lost her mom due to Covid and she was a woman who spent her entire life looking after people.”
The attorney explained that the family member died “completely alone in a hospital without being able to see one relative for 14 days.
“It was a nightmare. No one should go through what my wife went through watching her mom die like that.”
Mr Jones said he hopes the spooky display will catch the attention of those in the area and might inspire some sceptics to reconsider their position.
He maintains that those who are choosing not to get vaccinated are “endangering America”.
“I need to look after you, you need to look after me,” he said.
Mr Jones explained: "If you are not vaccinated, you are not a patriot. You are not a patriot. You’re endangering America because this virus doesn’t play. It’s our enemy.”
His warning comes as cases in North Carolina continue to rise as a result of the more transmissible Delta variant.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 1651 people are currently hospitalised with the virus in the state.
The department says that 51 per cent of the population have received at least one does of a Covid-19 shot, while below half (47 per cent) are fully vaccinated.
The News & Observer reports that governor Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday that the state is offering $100 to people who get vaccinated at some sites across the state.
The newspaper wrote that on Tuesday the state reported 2,188 new cases following 2,190 the day before.
