SAN DIEGO—Following the state’s lead, San Diego County leaders and public health officials declared a state of emergency Aug. 2 in response to the monkeypox outbreak in an attempt to bolster vaccination efforts.
The local health emergency must be ratified in seven days by the County Board of Supervisors, and then will need to be ratified again every 30 days, as needed. Beginning Aug. 3, the county will update the number of infections daily.
The state of emergency declaration will allow the county to seek state assistance and use public health infrastructure for testing, contact tracing, and case investigation.
“All of these strategies were developed and strengthened during the COVID-19 response,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County public health officer. “To prevent the community-wide spread of monkeypox infection, the key is prevention, and this includes vaccinations.”…