New York State Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a state of emergency over the spread of monkeypox.
“I am declaring a state disaster emergency to strengthen our ongoing efforts to address the monkeypox outbreak,” Hochul wrote on Twitter.
“This Executive Order allows us to respond more quickly and for healthcare professionals to take additional steps that will help vaccinate more New Yorkers,” he added.
She added that more than one in four cases of the disease in the United States are in New York. The state also records a disproportionate impact on risk groups.
As of July 29, New York State had a total of 1,383 confirmed cases, according to the state health department.
Brazil recorded this Friday (29) the first death from smallpox of monkeys – the first known outside Africa in the current outbreak. According to the Ministry of Health, the country already had 1,066 confirmed cases of the disease until Thursday (28). On July 9, there were 218.
The disease has been classified by the WHO (World Health Organization) as a public emergency of global concern. The entity has also declared that it considers the situation in Brazil for the disease as alarming.
The increase in confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox in Brazil is beginning to overwhelm laboratories referenced for the diagnosis of the disease. To avoid a lack of control over the spread of the virus, they ask the Ministry of Health to accredit more places for testing.
Experts warn that the low testing capacity hampers the identification of cases and, consequently, the control of the spread of the virus.
