NY Declares Monkeypox Emergency As Cases Continue To Rise

NEW YORK CITY — Monkeypox is officially an emergency across New York, the state's top doctor said.

State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett issued a declaration Thursday that monkeypox represents an "imminent threat to public health."

The designation dovetails with a similar state of emergency declared in San Francisco, and growing worries in New York City, which has seen roughly 1,200 cases so far, data shows.

"Based on the ongoing spread of this virus, which has increased rapidly and affected primarily communities that identify as men who have sex with men, and the need for local jurisdictions to administer vaccines, I've declared monkeypox an Imminent Threat to Public Health throughout New York State," Bassett said in a statement.

The spread of monkeypox has many local officials, as well as their worldwide counterparts, concerned the virus soon could be "uncontainable."

Monkeypox previously was rarely seen outside rural African areas, but in recent months it has spread across the world. Most cases of those case have been among men who have sex with men, although health officials stress that anyone can contract the virus.

Over the weekend, World Health Organization officials declared the monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries a global emergency.

In New York City, the virus has exploded from a single case in May to 1,251 as of Thursday, according to city health data.

"Cases in NYC are increasing, and there are likely many more cases that have not been diagnosed," the city's monkeypox page states.

At-risk New Yorkers have been frustrated by numerous problems in the city's rollout of vaccinations, including a spate of glitches on an appointment website and a persistent lack of supply from the federal government.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, and President Joe Biden this week helped secure 110,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine for the state, of which 80,000 will go toward New York City.

The doses will be delivered over the next four to six weeks, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

"With more than one-quarter of all cases in the U.S., New Yorkers, and especially our LGBTQ+ community, remain among the hardest-hit," she said in a statement. "We will continue to advocate to the federal government for our fair share of vaccines based on the disease burden impacting New York."

Bassett's declaration means that the city's health department, and others across the state, can access additional reimbursement from the state for monkeypox-related responses.

The declaration covers responses and activities between June 1 and Dec. 31.

For more information about monkeypox, including vaccinations, click here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.