California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday announced a state of emergency over an outbreak of the monkeypox disease.
It comes just days after New York became the first state in the US to declare a state of emergency to tackle the outbreak.
As of Monday, California recorded 827 monkeypox infections, the second-largest tally in the US after New York’s 1,390 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What does the announcement mean?
Newsom said the move would help the country’s most-populous state seek more vaccines and spread knowledge about the disease and treatment.
“We’ll continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk,” Newsom said in a statement announcing his declaration.
The declaration allows emergency medical personnel to administer monkeypox vaccines that are approved by the federal government. A recent law also allows pharmacists to administer the jab.
So far, some 25,000 doses have been administered in California.
The governor’s office said the state is building on the steps developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to set up vaccination clinics.
