The United States declared the growing number of monkeypox cases a national health emergency..The declaration allows the federal government to ramp up its response to the virus without the usual regulatory barriers..Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra made the announcement in a call with reporters on Thursday, The New York Post reports..“I want to make an announcement today that I will be declaring a public health emergency,” said Becerra. “We’re prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus.”.“We urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility and help us tackle this virus.” .Sources told the Washington Post Becerra is planning a second declaration to allow federal officials to speed up countermeasures. These measures include authorizing treatments and vaccines without detailed reviews and expanding the current supply of vaccines available. .Government officials had been debating whether to declare monkeypox a public health emergency, and sources said this announcement is part of their efforts to contain the virus. .This announcement comes after the American government named Federal Emergency Management Agency official Robert J. Fenton Jr. as coordinator of the monkeypox response. .More than 6,000 cases of the virus, which causes fever, aches, and bumps or sores on the body have been identified in the US..The virus spreads through drawn-out skin-to-skin contact and the main demographic affected so far has been gay and bisexual men..President Joe Biden officials have been under scrutiny for its slow response to the growing outbreak, particularly because vaccines for the virus already exist, although the country only has the capacity for 80,000 monkeypox tests per week..The American government has been looking to boost access to monkeypox vaccines, as there is a limited supply. About 1.6 million people have been identified as at the highest risk for monkeypox, but 550,000 doses are available. .The California government enacted a state of emergency to handle a rising number of monkeypox cases on Tuesday. .READ MORE: UPDATED: California declares state of emergency in response to monkeypox.“California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, contact tracing and community partnerships strengthened during the pandemic to ensure that those most at risk are our focus for vaccines, treatment and outreach,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. .“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.”
