New York: Gov. Kathy Hochul declares monkeypox outbreak a disaster emergency

The monkeypox outbreak is officially a disaster in upstate New York. The question is when this new New York state of mind will become the state of mind of other states. Yesterday Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) issued an executive order declaring the monkeypox outbreak in upstate New York a disaster and tweeted the following:

This was six days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared PHEIC from the ongoing monkeypox outbreak on July 23, PHEIC standing for a public health emergency of international concern. It was also a day after the New York State Health Commissioner declared an imminent public health threat on July 28.

This was by no means the first emergency disaster to be declared in upstate New York in recent years. There was also something called the Covid-19 pandemic that led to such a declaration back in 2020 and has since led to renewals of such declarations up until this year. If you still don’t know what Covid-19 is, that’s what many people around you are trying to tell you that it’s “over”, when actually it’s not over.

And now “What is the monkeypox virus” has joined “What is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” as an appropriate response to “Things not well controlled in the US.” Danger! As of July 29, there have been a total of 5,169 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Confirmed cases have occurred in all but three states (Montana, Vermont, Wyoming) in the US. However, the worst-hit state was the Empire State, with 1,345 cases according to the CDC and 1,383 according to the Executive Order on Friday. In fact, the executive order states that “New York is now experiencing one of the highest transmission rates in the country.” So it’s not surprising that the state is done with monkeypox and has declared a state of emergency.

This disaster emergency declaration applies to the entire state of New York through August 28. Such an explanation typically has two general aims. The first is to raise awareness of the problem. Well, chances are, unless you’ve been doing nothing but binge-watching, you’ve already heard of the monkeypox outbreak Squid Game on Netflix in the past few months. And yes, the monkeypox virus is not the same as SARS-CoV-2. It will not require the same level of precautionary measures as mass face mask wearing that public health officials have tries for the Covid-19 pandemic with an emphasis on the word “tested”.

The problem, however, is that many people still seem to be acting as if things are the green light, not taking enough monkeypox virus measures and precautions that public health experts are urging. In fact, there is a lot of surprising misinformation circulating about the monkeypox virus, such as claims that it is simply a sexually transmitted infection, even though it can be spread through any kind of prolonged close contact. While the disaster declaration doesn’t mean you should start flapping your arms and pacing in circles in a panic while yelling “disaster, disaster” and hoarding toilet paper, it does mean that you should be aware of the precautions needed. This includes immediately isolating anyone who may have monkeypox symptoms and providing real and appropriate medical attention to that person. It also means avoiding close contact with people who may be infected or anything an infected person may have touched, and getting the monkeypox vaccine when you’re more likely to be exposed to the virus. Remember that unless you are a ficus plant masquerading as a human, you can catch the monkeypox virus if you are exposed to it.

The second general goal of the disaster declaration is to increase the powers of various government agencies and their personnel to allocate resources to respond to the outbreak. Don’t take this as imposing some sort of martial law, or perhaps “Marshall Law,” in the words of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia). Nor is it a sign that the so-called Deep State wants your toilet paper. Instead, the declaration does some practical things, such as expanding the ability of various health professionals to administer monkeypox vaccines when deemed necessary under certain conditions.

New York may have been the first state to declare the monkeypox outbreak a disaster emergency. But it may not end up being the only one doing so. The state of California had the second-highest confirmed case of monkeypox at 799 and is reportedly considering a similar explanation. Illinois is third at 419, followed by Florida at 373. The monkeypox virus has spread faster and more widely than it has since it was first identified in 1958. The Empire State of Mind may say this is a disaster. But while Alicia Keys and Jay-Z may have chanted, “There’s nothing you can’t do,” New York will need other states and the federal government to get involved to help control the outbreak as well. After all, the monkeypox virus doesn’t really discriminate or respect state borders when it comes to infecting people.