California Declares State Of Emergency Over Monkeypox Outbreak

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday declared a state of emergency to combat rising monkeypox cases in the state.

California is the third US state after New York and Illinois to issue a statewide emergency over the disease.

Governor Newsom said a declaration of a statewide emergency will help coordinate a better response to monkeypox, raise awareness and secure more vaccines.

“California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, contact tracing and community partnerships strengthened during the pandemic to ensure that those most at risk are our focus for vaccines, treatment and outreach,” said Governor Newsom in a statement.

“We’ll continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization,” Governor Newsom added.

Last week, San Francisco became the first major US city to declare a local emergency over monkeypox outbreak.

“San Francisco showed during COVID that early action is essential for protecting public health … We know that this virus impacts everyone equally – but we also know that those in our LGBTQ community are at greater risk right now,” San Francisco Mayor London N Breed said in a statement.

The state of California has so far reported 827 monkeypox cases, second highest in the country after New York. The total number of cases in the country stands at 5,811, according to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.