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United States Of America-Declares Monkeypox A Public Health Emergency

On Thursday, the White House declared monkeypox a public health emergency as the virus continues to spread across the country.

Xavier Becerra, Health and Human Services Secretary, made the announcement, citing a rise in cases across the U.S. and growing concerns regarding access to treatment for the virus.

“We’re prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus,” said Becerra during a briefing with media and officials.

The declaration, which was made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, comes a little less than two weeks after the World Health Organization designated the outbreak an emergency of international concern.

The World Health Organization has made a declaration on July 23 that monkeypox represents a “public health emergency of international concern.” More than 25,000 cases have been recorded as of Wednesday across 87 countries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday appointed FEMA’s Robert Fenton as the White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis as Fenton’s deputy. The pair will work with local and state officials to “equitably” increase the availability of testing, treatment and vaccination for monkeypox.

The U.S. had recorded 6,617 cases since Aug. 3, according to the CDC. So far, no deaths linked to the virus have been recorded in the country. While most cases have been found in men who have sex with men, U.S. health officials announced on July 22 that two children had contracted the virus.

Last week, New York became the first state to declare monkeypox a "disaster emergency," with officials calling New York City the "epicenter of the outbreak." Illinois and California soon followed, with both states reporting hundreds of confirmed cases.

Several U.S. states and cities have been grappling with how to respond to the outbreak.


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