2 Chicago Residents Die From Monkeypox, U.S. Rep. Casten Pushes Bill

CHICAGO — Two Chicago residents have died from the monkeypox virus after being hospitalized for more than a month, city health officials announced on Friday.

Health officials said that both patients had other health issues and had been hospitalized since being diagnosed with monkeypox more than six weeks ago, the Chicago Department of Heath announced. Both people who died had weakened immune systems and the deaths are not related to one another, according to a news release.

The identities of both patients and other information, including the hospitals where they were being treated, will not be released, health officials said in the release.

As the two deaths were announced, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-6th) said that he has introduced legislation to allow for COVID-19 funding included in the American Rescue Plan of 2021 to be used to support and enhance the response efforts of public health officials to combat the Monkeypox public health emergency, Casten said in a news release.

“After receiving messages of concern from constituents in my district, it became clear that assisting healthcare workers and public health officials in their efforts to decrease and stop the spread of Monkeypox is of the utmost importance,” Casten said in a news release.

“Using funding from the American Rescue Plan will allow for more testing, more vaccines, and more widely available treatment. The Public Health Emergency Flexibility Act provides state and local public health workers with all the resources available to curb the spread of the monkeypox virus and keep our communities safe and healthy.”

Monkeypox was declared a Public Health Emergency on August 4 by the Biden Administration. Nationally, more than 27,000 Monkeypox cases have been reported since May and local health officials are urging anyone who meets the criteria to receive the Monkeypox vaccine to get it.

Illinois has reported 1,358 monkeypox cases, according to IDPH.