Gov. J.B. Pritzkeron Monday declared the spreading monkeypox virus to be a statewide public health emergency.
Illinois has the third most monkeypox cases of any state, behind only New York and California. Pritzker’s declaration, which marks the state as a monkeypox “disaster area, ” will allow public health officials to more aggressively respond to the outbreak, the governor’s office said.
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“MPV is a rare, but potentially serious disease that requires the full mobilization of all available public health resources to prevent the spread,” Pritzker said in a statement.
The declaration, effective immediately and in place for 30 days, allows state agencies to coordinate more efficiently and use new tools in the fight against the disease, the governor’s statement said.
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The Illinois Department of Public Health can now expand vaccine and testing capacities with the help of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and get access to state and federal recovery and assistance funds, the statement said. The declaration will also help facilitate vaccination logistics, the statement added.
“These measures will allow the state to deploy all our resources in fighting this disease and will open efficient lines of communication and cooperation across state lines, an essential step in tracking monkeypox and improving tools and processes to prevent and address it,” said Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Pritzker’s emergency declaration follows one made July 23 by the World Health Organization. San Francisco’s mayor declared an emergency over the virus on Thursday, and New York City’s mayor declared one on Saturday.
Illinois is currently reporting 520 confirmed or presumed monkeypox cases, the governor’s statement said. Nearly a tenth of the country’s cases have appeared in Illinois.
[ Chicago monkeypox cases rise again: 326 and counting ]
Most of the state’s cases have occurred in Chicago, among the hardest-hit cities across the entire country. Chicago saw a sharp increase in reported infections last week, with a total of 326 cases reported as of Wednesday.
Chicago does not need a separate emergency declaration because the city is covered by the state’s declaration, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and city public health Commissioner Allison Arwady said in a joint statement.
“This emergency declaration brings a necessary, increased focus to the Monkeypox (MPV) outbreak we’re seeing here in Chicago, across our state, and around the country,” they said in the statement. “Ultimately, however, we need more support from the federal level to fully address the threat MPV presents to our city.”
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The virus is spreading mostly among men who have sex with other men, public health officials at all levels have said. The Chicago Department of Public Health is targeting vaccinations at that group, especially those who have multiple or anonymous partners, though there’s nothing inherent about the disease that limits its spread to men who have sex with men, Arwady has repeatedly said.
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“Here in Illinois we will ensure our LGBTQ+ community has the resources they need to stay safe while ensuring members are not stigmatized as they access critical health care,” Pritzker said.
[ Monkeypox concern grows as virus spreads in Chicago: ‘They need to get loud about this’ ]
The state has received 7,000 doses of vaccine from the federal government and expects 13,000 more doses in the near future, the statement said. Many of the received doses have already been shared with Chicago’s health department.
Health care providers and gay men across Chicago have called for a more robust response to the outbreak and more vaccines amid a national shortage. Pritzker called on the federal government to ramp up vaccination efforts in late July. The next day, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced it would be prioritizing first doses with new vaccine stock, a move that was expected to delay the administration of many second shots.
The smallpox-related monkeypox virus was first detected in humans in 1970 and is endemic to parts of west and central Africa. The illness often begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes before progressing to painful, distinct, large rashes throughout the body that look like pimples or blisters. Monkeypox symptoms can last up to four weeks
