Monkeypox is now a public health emergency in New York.

The city was named “the epicenter” of the outbreak.

The decision comes after last week New York had reported 1,345 monkeypox, counted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The public health emergency announcement was made by Mayor Eric Adams.

According to health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan more than 150,000 city residents might be at risk of catching the disease, as monkeypox is considered to be an “imminent threat to public health.”

“We will continue to work with our federal partners to secure more doses as soon as they become available. 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”, officials declared.

Monkeypox has also been declared a global health emergency by WHO during last week, on July 23. So far, over 22,000 monkeypox cases were found in almost 80 countries.

People can get infected via direct skin-to-skin contact and sharing personal objects and bedding. Despite the transmission is higher among homosexual men, authorities warn that the virus can infect anyone.

 

Source: apnews.com