NYC declares monkeypox public health emergency

People wait in line at a monkeypox vaccination site in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, on July 30, 2022. New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency late Friday night due to the growing monkeypox cases in the state. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

NEW YORK, July 30 (Xinhua) -- New York City on Saturday declared a public health emergency due to the monkeypox outbreak.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and city Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan made the announcement in a joint statement as a total of 1,383 monkeypox cases have been reported in New York State.

"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," the statement read.

The declaration will allow the health department to issue emergency orders under the city health code and amend code provisions to help slow the spread.

The announcement came one day after New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency over the outbreak. On Thursday, the state health department called monkeypox an "imminent threat to public health."

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 5,189 cases had been confirmed nationwide as of Friday.

The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on July 23.