Adams declares monkeypox state of emergency in New York

NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency over monkeypox on Monday — a move that lets him suspend local laws to better manage the city's outbreak.

“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,” Adams said in a statement.

The mayor’s emergency executive order comes after the city's health department declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Saturday. Under that city declaration, health commissioner Ashwin Vasan can issue orders amending the city’s health code to slow the spread of the virus.

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Friday, a move she said would pressure the federal government to send additional vaccines to the state.

Adams’ order Monday builds on the city and state declarations and directs city agencies to “take all appropriate and necessary steps to preserve public safety and the health of their employees, and to render all required and available assistance to protect the security, well-being and health of the residents of the City.”

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio used the same mechanism to expand his mayoral authority when Covid-19 first began spreading in the city.

As of Monday, New York City reported 1,472 monkeypox cases, with most cases occurring among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Cases are continuing to rise in the city and across the country, and actual case counts of the virus, which can affect anyone, are likely much higher than those reported due to lack of diagnosis.

Amid continued demand, the state will receive 110,000 additional monkeypox vaccine doses from the federal government in the coming weeks, and 80,000 of those doses will go to the city.

The mayor’s executive order is set to expire in 30 days, unless it is rescinded or extended.