Gavin Newsom, the California governor, declared a state of emergency in response to the monkeypox outbreak, becoming the second state in three days to take the step.
The governor said the announcement will help California coordinate a government-wide response, seek more vaccines and lead outreach and education efforts on where people can get treatment and vaccination.
Mr. Newsom said 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”.
“Public health officials are clear: stigma is unacceptable and counterproductive in public health response,” Michelle Gibbons, executive director of the County Health Executives Association of California said in a statement. “The fact is that monkeypox is primarily spread by skin-to-skin contact and sharing objects like bedding or towels, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity”.
According to the reports, the type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak is rarely fatal, and people usually recover within weeks. But the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are painful, and they can prevent swallowing or bowel movements if in the throat or anus.
The declaration in California came on Saturday e after a similar one in New York state on Saturday, and in San Francisco on Thursday. Mr. Newsom’s administration had said as recently as Friday that it was too soon for such a declaration.
ALSO, READ
