Governor Hochul declares State Disaster Emergency amidst rise in Monkeypox cases

ALBANY, NY- Although health experts continue urging assurance and not to panic, Governor Kathy Hochul recently declared a State Disaster Emergency in response to a rise in Monkeypox cases statewide.

The purpose of declaring such thing, according to Hochul’s office, is to pave way for the state to address the outbreak faster, while also giving more means to healthcare experts to help get more people vaccinated.

The order was issued officially Friday night. "I am grateful to President Biden and other Administration officials for their help in securing an additional 110,000 Monkeypox vaccine doses - approximately 80,000 to New York City and 30,000 to the rest of New York State - which will be delivered over the next four to six weeks and allow us to continue to respond to this troubling outbreak,” the Governor said.

"My team and I have been working around the clock to confront the Monkeypox outbreak and keep New Yorkers safe, and we will continue our ongoing efforts to secure more vaccines, expand testing capacity, and educate the public on how to identify symptoms and protect themselves."

New CDC updates suggest that there are approximately 3,500 confirmed Monkeypox cases throughout the U.S.

Image courtesy via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.