New York City declares monkeypox a public health emergency

NEW YORK (AP) — Officials in New York City have declared a public health emergency due to the monkeypox outbreak. The announcement Saturday by Mayor Eric Adams and health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan called New York City “the epicenter” of the outbreak, with as many as 150,000 residents at risk of infection. The declaration will allow officials to issue emergency orders under the city health code and amend code provisions to implement measures to help slow the spread. In recent days, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency declaration and the state health department called monkeypox an “imminent threat to public health.”