NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan Declared the monkeypox outbreak in New York City to be a public health emergency on Saturday.
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Their announcement comes the day after Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a statewide state of disaster emergency over the outbreak and a week after the World Health Organization declared monkeypox to be an international public health emergency.
The city’s declaration gives broad authority to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to issue emergency orders to slow the spread of monkeypox.
“New York City is currently the epicenter of the outbreak, and we estimate that approximately 150,000 New Yorkers may currently be at risk for monkeypox exposure,” said the mayor. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to secure more doses as soon as they become available. This outbreak must be met with urgency, action, and resources, both nationally and globally, and this declaration of a public health emergency reflects the seriousness of the moment.”
There were 1,298 known cases in New York City as of Friday, according to New York City Department of Health statistics.
Also on Friday, the CDC counted 1,345 cases statewide — the most of any state in the nation. Health officials warn more infections are likely undiagnosed.
On Thursday, the federal government announced it would send 110,000 monkeypox vaccines to New York, 80,000 of which will go to New York City.
The city is operating three mass vaccination sites. Appointments can be made on the Department of Health’s website, though, as of Sunday morning, there were no available appointments.
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