More On: Monkeypox
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California declares monkeypox state of emergency
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According to the Associated Press, President Joe Biden's administration will declare a public health emergency due to the monkeypox outbreak in the United States.
The Associated Press reports:
The announcement will free up federal funding and resources to fight the virus, which may cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimple-like bumps on many parts of the body. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement. […] The monkeypox virus spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact, including hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as sharing bedding, towels and clothing. The people who have gotten sick so far have been primarily men who have sex with men. But health officials emphasize that the virus can infect anyone.
According to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6,600 Americans have contracted monkeypox to date (CDC). States like New York, California, and Illinois have declared public health emergencies in response to the outbreak in an effort to increase state funding for the disease's fight.
J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, said in a statement on Monday that "the monkeypox virus is a rare, but potentially serious disease that requires the full mobilization of all available public health resources to prevent the spread." In order to increase the state authorities' ability to respond to, treat, and stop the spread of MPV, I am proclamating a state of emergency.
A national declaration would follow requests from well-known individuals to treat the outbreak seriously.
Biden was recently encouraged to "declare a state of emergency" by CNN medical expert Dr. Leana Wen.
“I do think it’s time for the U.S. to declare a state of emergency,” Wen said. “It will allow the Biden administration to appoint a monkeypox czar to oversee these efforts. It will also allow for more resources to be put into this as well. I hope that the window hasn’t closed. I think that there is still an opportunity just to underscore why this is the case. Monkeypox may not be as fatal as a lot of other illnesses, but we don’t want another disease that we have to worry about in perpetuity if it takes hold here.”
