Mayor Eric Adams of New York City issued an emergency executive order Monday declaring a local state of emergency due to the monkeypox outbreak, and issued the following statement:
“As the monkeypox outbreak continues to grow in New York City and across the country, I am today issuing an emergency executive order declaring a local state of emergency. New York City now has over 1,200 reported cases, approximately 25 percent of cases nationally, and we are continuing to see the numbers rise. This order will bolster our existing efforts to educate, vaccinate, test, and treat as many New Yorkers as possible and ensure a whole-of-government response to this outbreak. In partnership with federal, state, and local officials we will continue to respond with the urgency required to keep people safe and this order is another tool to help us do so.”
Because the governor has declared a state of emergency in New York, the mayor can suspend local laws and enact rules as needed to protect the well-being and health of all New Yorkers. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) issued a separate public health declaration of emergency on Saturday, allowing DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan to issue commissioner’s orders amending provisions of the New York City Health Code to protect public health and slow the spread.
