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| Photo Credit: AP. |
The Governor of California Gavin Newsom Monday declared a Monkeypox state of emergency following increased reported cases in the sunshine state.
California is the second state in the country to declare a state of emergency following the outbreak of the deadly disease after New York which made similar declaration Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
Newsom said
the declaration will help California combat the disease by coordinating government
wide response, seeking more vaccines and leading outreach and education efforts
to help people get treatment and vaccination, according to The Associated
Press.
“We’ll
continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise
awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting
stigmatization,” Newsom said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
How many cases of monkeypox are reported in California?
Close to 800
cases of monkeypox have been reported in California, The Associated Press
quoted state public health officials.
“Public
health officials are clear: stigma is unacceptable and counterproductive in
public health response,” Michelle Gibbons, executive director of the County
Health Executives Association of California said in a statement, The Associated
Press reported. “The fact is that monkeypox is primarily spread by skin to skin
contact and sharing objects like bedding or towels, without regard to sexual
orientation or gender identity.”
How does Monkeypox spreads?
Monkeypox
virus spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact, which can
include hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as through the sharing of
bedding, towels and clothing, according to The Associated Press.
Who can be infected by Monkeypox?
The condition
has so far only affected gay men having sex with their fellow men but health officials warn everyone is at risk. Although the
prevalent monkeypox virus is not fatal, as people could recover within weeks,
the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are not only painful but can
prevent swallowing or bowel movements if found in the throat or anus, according
to The Associated Press.
How much vaccines does California have against Monkeypox?
California has received more than 61,000 vaccine doses and has distributed more than 25,000 doses to combat the ravaging virus.
“We don’t
have any time to waste,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a
statement referring to the response to the condition, according to The
Associated Press.
California
has expanded its testing capacity to process over 1,000 tests a week.