SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California’s governor declared a state of emergency Monday to speed up efforts to combat a monkeypox outbreak, becoming the second state in three days to take the step.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the declaration will help California coordinate a government-wide response, seek more vaccines and lead outreach and education efforts about where people can get treatment and vaccinations.
“We will continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about risk reduction, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigma,” Newsom said in a statement announcing his statement.
Nearly 800 cases of monkeypox have been reported in California, according to state public health officials.
The monkeypox virus is spread through close and prolonged skin-to-skin contact, which can include hugging, cuddling, and kissing, as well as sharing bedding, towels, and clothing. Those who have fallen ill so far have mostly been men who have sex with men, although health officials note that the virus can infect anyone.
“Public health officials are clear: stigma is unacceptable and counterproductive in the public health response,” Michelle Gibbons, executive director of the California Association of County Health Executives, said in a statement. “The fact is that monkeypox is transmitted primarily by skin-to-skin contact and by sharing objects such as bedding or towels, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak is rarely fatal, and people usually recover within a few weeks. But the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are painful, and can prevent swallowing or bowel movements if they are in the throat or anus.
The statement in California followed a similar one in New York state on Saturday and San Francisco on Thursday. The Newsom administration had said as recently as Friday that it was too early for that statement.
After pushing for Newsom to make that statement, Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco praised the governor’s decision.
“The monkeypox outbreak is an emergency and we need to use all the tools we have to control it,” Wiener said.
Newsom’s proclamation allows emergency medical personnel to administer federally approved monkeypox vaccines.
This is similar to a recent law allowing pharmacists to administer vaccines, the Newsom administration said. He said the state’s response builds on steps taken during the coronavirus pandemic to establish vaccination clinics and ensure outreach to vulnerable populations in cooperation with local and community organizations.
California has received more than 61,000 doses of vaccine and distributed more than 25,000 doses.
“We have no time to waste,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. He said the nation’s most populous county must use all available resources to speed up vaccine distribution and help those who have been infected.
Newsom’s office said Los Angeles County has received a separate allocation of vaccine.
Last week, the state had expanded its testing capacity to process more than 1,000 tests a week. Critics have said the long wait for test results delayed treatment options.
In San Francisco, Peter Tran was among hundreds who lined up sometimes for hours to receive the monkeypox vaccine Monday at Zuckerberg General Hospital in San Francisco after the clinic was forced to close last week because he didn’t get enough doses.
“It’s horrible. Like it’s a vaccine that’s been out for so long. And like, it’s not even a deadly disease. It’s harder to spread than COVID. But the rollout of vaccines across this nation is absolutely horrible,” Tran said.
“I think the science shows that the protection gets a lot better with the vaccine. So that’s why I do it. And honestly, I don’t want the lesions on my body. I heard that the lesions are painful and leave scars. So I think this is another motivation to go out and get it.”
Before issuing their own emergency declaration last week, San Francisco city officials were criticized for not responding quickly enough to the outbreak. In turn, they blamed the federal government for not delivering enough vaccines. The city received about 4,000 doses Friday, allowing it to restart vaccinations and hopes to administer them by midweek, said Dr. Lukejohn Day, medical director of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
The city had 305 cases as of Monday, he said.
The World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries a global emergency.
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Associated Press videographer Terry Chea contributed from San Francisco.