New York has recorded 1,345 cases, the highest number of monkeypox cases in the United States, according to the CDC data.
With this, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order late Friday to declare monkeypox a “disaster emergency,” saying it will strengthen ongoing efforts to limit a recent increase in cases.
With the declaration on July 30, New York City is now the second U.S. city after San Francisco to issue such an order for the virus, which officials have said is mostly spreading among gay and bisexual males.
Officials estimate that approximately 150,000 Big Apple residents face possible exposure.
Here’s what Hochul wrote in a press release:
“More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York state, and we need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond.”
“It’s especially important to recognize the ways in which this outbreak is currently having a disproportionate impact on certain at-risk groups,” she added. “That’s why my team and I are working around the clock to secure more vaccines, expand testing capacity and responsibly educate the public on how to stay safe during this outbreak.”
I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our ongoing efforts to confront the monkeypox outbreak.
This Executive Order enables us to respond more swiftly, and allows health care professionals to take additional steps that will help get more New Yorkers vaccinated.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 30, 2022
The emergency declaration went into effect immediately and has allowed the state’s health department to issue orders under the New York City Health Code and access more funds and resources to “slow the spread” of the virus.
New York’s Department of Heath reported at least 1,383 cases as of July 29. Of those numbers, New York City alone makes up for 1,289 cases.
Following the declaration made by Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan also declared a public health emergency on Saturday, July 30, and called the city “the epicenter” of the outbreak.
Mayor Eric Adams and Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the head of the New York City health and mental hygiene department, said in a joint statement:
“This outbreak must be met with urgency, action, and resources, both nationally and globally, and this declaration of a public health emergency reflects the seriousness of the moment.”
More details of this report from The Daily Wire:
Two days earlier, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order declaring a State Disaster Emergency in response to the outbreak.
“More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York State, and we need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond,” Hochul said. “It’s especially important to recognize the ways in which this outbreak is currently having a disproportionate impact on certain at-risk groups.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the U.S. has at least 5,189 reported cases of Monkeypox, which spreads through skin-to-skin and extended face-to-face contact, hugging, kissing, and sexual intercourse. Symptoms include fever, headache, cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion. The disease can also cause painful rashes and blisters.
While Monkeypox is not spread exclusively through sex, the disease infects gay men at a far higher rate than any other demographic.
The Biden administration could declare Monkeypox a national public health emergency in the coming days, according to Politico. The announcement would come from the Department of Health and Human Services and give the federal agency the ability to new money and appoint new personnel.
New York City marks the second major city in the United States, following San Francisco, to declare a public health emergency.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency, its highest level of alert, over the monkeypox outbreak.
Monkeypox, a zoonotic infectious disease usually found in parts of Central and West Africa that can also infect humans in rare cases, has been reported in over 75 countries and territories, with over 22,000 infections globally, according to the CDC.
Roughly 70% of those cases were reported from Europe, while the Americas make up about 25%.
Sources: TheDailyWire, NYC.gov
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