The city of San Francisco and the state of New York on Thursday declared health emergencies over the monkeypox outbreak.
Why it matters: The disease was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization last week.
Details: The city of San Francisco declared a “local public health emergency” with the aim of creating more “flexibility” to increase testing and vaccine distribution, and “allow us to use all the resources in our power to contain the outbreak,” California state Sen. Scott Wiener said in a statement. Wiener had called for the declaration.
- In New York state, health commissioner Mary Bassett declared the disease an “imminent threat to public health,” News 12 reports. The declaration is retroactive, starting on June 1.
What they’re saying: In a post outlining the declaration, San Fransisco Mayor London Breed said the local emergency would “strengthen the City’s preparedness” by allowing it to “mobilize City recourses,” “streamline staffing,” and “coordinate agencies across the city.”
www.axios.com/2022/07/28/sf-ny-declare-health-emergencies-monkeypox-outbreak