California Governor Gavin Newsom (then Lieutenant Governor) riding in the Golden State Warriors Parade in Oakland, CA, Jun. 12, 2018. (Photo: Amir Aziz/Shutterstock)
Governor Newsom Declares State of Emergency Over Monkeypox Outbreak
Announcement occurs despite only 827 cases in California
By Evan Symon, August 2, 2022 12:47 pm
In an announcement on Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California over the continuing monkeypox outbreak, becoming the second state in the U.S. to do so after New York.
Monkeypox, a virus that cause rashes, swollen glands, and fever amongst other symptoms that is also rarely deadly, had it’s first recorded cases in Africa in early May. While the U.S. did see some cases in May, the number of cases quickly grew in June and July. While anyone can get the virus through skin-to-skin contact, currently 98% of cases outside Africa have been reported by homosexual men, with 71% of cases being those who are white and 41% of cases happening to those with HIV/AIDS.
“Public health officials are clear: stigma is unacceptable and counterproductive in public health response,” noted County Health Executives Association of California executive director Michelle Gibbons. “The fact is that monkeypox is primarily spread by skin to skin contact and sharing objects like bedding or towels, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity.”
In California, monkeypox has particularly hurt gay communities, with the city of San Francisco alone accounting for one-third of all cases within the state and enacting a local public health emergency as a precaution. While growth has been slow but steady, with California reporting 799 total cases last Wednesday and 827 on Monday, the zeroed-in effect of monkeypox on the LGBT community and the possibility of mutations that could lead to more widespread effects and transmission by more people led Governor Newsom to declare a state of emergency on Monday. Specifically, Newsom hopes that the state of Emergency will help expand vaccine distribution by the California Department of Public Health and greater vaccine usage by Californians at-risk.
“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 Newsom in a statement on Monday. “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.
“Expanding the pool of eligible vaccinators will substantially aid current efforts and support anticipated further vaccination efforts upon receipt of additional doses from the federal government.”
Monkeypox in California
The state has also built on infrastructure developed during the COVID-19 pandemic and have quickly built up the number of testing sites across the states and increased testing capacity. As of Tuesday, California can process more than 1,000 monkeypox tests a week, and is quickly growing that number.
“It’s all about getting the vaccine to areas that need it and getting rid of the virus before it spread more. Search and destroy,” explained nurse Ellen Barkley, who has been assisting some local efforts in California, to the Globe on Tuesday. “We are focusing on the LGBT community by and large, but that’s because that is who it is really hurting right now. It doesn’t matter which populace group has it, it would be treated the same no matter what. It just so happened that it is affecting them in particular right now. Blaming a certain group doesn’t help anyone. It’s just how this one spread this time.”
“And everyone should care. Monkeypox can be very communicable, so we need to stop it now. And that means giving assistance to those communities most at-risk and spreading awareness. I’m not sure that the numbers are really high enough to warrant a state of emergency, it seems like the Governor is acting a bit hastily due to the spread of COVID-19 being a very recent memory. But if you do want to end it before it becomes an even bigger thing, that is one way to do it.”
“What is usually more effective is a mix of public awareness and local health departments putting a wraps on the issue at this point, but Newsom obviously believes that this could be a lot bigger without the state getting involved. Time will tell if this state of emergency was too rash or if only local support was really needed to stop the number of cases from growing.”
Illinois quickly followed California’s lead on declaring a state of emergency on Monday, bringing the total number of states with one for monkeypox nationwide to three. More state actions against the outbreak are expected to be announced soon.
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Ahhh, the old never let a crisis go to waste strategy.
It primarily affects the gay community, it is treatable and I believe one person in Africa died with Moneypox not necessarily from Moneypox. If a certain community can practice safe sex and abstain from risky behavior then the pox will be limited and die out like most god viruses do, if they do not have a host they wither away.
Now, what to do with the growing virus up In Sacramento is a question for the ages. We can start by electing common sense legislators that want to grow our economy, build out water storage and restore faith in our government . To keep announcing state of emergencies for treatable viruses is no way to govern.
Microwave radiation created the symptoms of the previous crisis and perhaps the latest that you are referring to. See those massive cell towers? When they temporarily crank them up to 7 or 8G anyone within a 10 mile radius will have symptoms and/or outbreaks. That’s where “their” remedy comes in. Round and round we go with no end in site. Cell tower location maps help to tell the story that’s quite scary once you learn what is going on.
Some truthers employed with the NIH published this info in 2020 on their website. It was available for about a week before Fauci caught wind of it and took it down. Well, they just did it again so best download it while you can. Very creditable content. Yes…it’s the cell towers folks. No virus. Microwave Radiation enters through the skin and reduces the oxygen in your blood. Believe it not, it’s actually a very old trick and is responsible for a lot viruses, sicknesses, and diseases. Research patents for this history at a law library. Not with the gospel of google or the internet for that matter. WAKE UP.
*good viruses not god viruses????
Newsom’s emergency powers will never end.
Oh come ON!
I swear I will go on a one-woman campaign if necessary to get Brian Dahle elected governor.
We can’t take four more years of this B.S.
Aaahhhhh!
I will join you ShowandTell.
If Brian Dahle is serious about winning the state, he needs to get out now and travel to each city and personally meet people. Right now I say to myself, Brian who?? He needs to take a lead from Kari Lake, be a fighter for truth, stand for something. He cannot just be the opposing candidate. Time to step up CA GOP! Get on the church circuit. Get to rallies, create Rallies. Do a train tour. DO IT NOW!
I hear you, Cali Girl. Dahle may not be serious or he may have reasons for his low energy and low effort that only he and his cronies know and we can only guess at. We know CA candidates like Newsom think their victory is assured and that they don’t have to lift a finger, campaign, debate, etc. The dirty-trick reasons behind this I’d rather not speculate about. I say install Dahle anyway. Let’s take a page from the Trump-hating Biden voter of 2020. Make him the Anti-Candidate. “He’s not Newsom!” may have to be the motto and rallying cry in these difficult times. (Only half kidding…..) 🙂
You would think you could run a stick figure against Newsom and it would win. Unfortunately, Californians around me seem to like the restrictions, mandates, it satisfies their need to virtue signal. Do you think Newsom reduces his water consumption or gets chauffeured in a Prius? He does not practice what he preaches, French Laundry ring a bell.
I would like to see Dahle visit an In&Out burger and be the complete opposite of Newsom, eat red meat, pull up in a big ‘ol truck or classic car! Who needs the French Laundry when we have In&Out. Give us a choice Dahle and come out swinging.
I know, and you have great ideas there, Cali Girl. There is a lot of cynicism around and there is reason for it but it seems not productive to dwell on it now. On the plus side, candidates like Dahle like to wait until after Labor Day to get “serious” —- remember John Cox? I know, I know, but there is that to come and we’ll see. Sigh. Also L.A. County seems to be waking up in a way I had not seen before. A surge of informed citizens rising up against the Fake Doctor’s mask mandates was a very good sign. Can’t remember ever seeing something quite like that before and I’ve been watching this stuff for almost 20 years. L.A. County’s population is 10 million. One in four Californians live in L.A. County. It’s been said that if you have L.A. County you have California. That’s why there has been so much energy over the years with an eye to screwing with it. Now if we could only be graced with a “clean-enough” election —- in the state, the counties, the cities, and the districts — we might have something. I’m cursed with a view of half ‘cockeyed optimist’ and half ‘cynical realist.’ But it’s not over yet. I still believe there is hope for California. We’ll see
No forced isolation? No Pox Camps? No stigma except if you don’t wear a mask or get 47 boosters for the Vid? Leftists LOVE stigma as long as it is not applied to them and theirs.
Could it be that Noisome wants the Pox to spread to further his lust for power?
How much more of this “the sky is falling” nonsense are Californians going to take?
He is the prime example of how most of what’s wrong with California originates from the bay area. 827 out of 40,000,000 people in California have contracted this disease and the governor – at the behest of his leather-clad masters in san fran – declares a state of emergency. Hysterics for 0.0021% of the population.
It kind of reminds me of the episode of “The Office” wit the rabies fun run.
We do have a state of emergency in this state. It’s called “Dumb Voter Syndrome”. The voters in this state are so stupid they voted to keep Gov. Newscum in office. They believe every gaslighting scare promulgated by the Commucrat Party. I have never seen such stupid people in my life.
so, will he shame the “affected” individuals into isolation and distancing? Heck NO! Can’t offend that group.