Senator Wiener Calls For Monkeypox State of Emergency

SAN FRANCISCO - Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) released the following statement calling on San Francisco and California to declare a State of Emergency due to the growing Monkeypox outbreak:

“Monkeypox is a public health crisis, and we need to treat it as such. In San Francisco alone, we have 222 cases – one of the highest rates in the United States. Given that spread and that Monkeypox is now being detected in our sewage, we know that cases are high and will continue to grow. Monkeypox is painful and isolating, and no one should have to experience it.

“Unfortunately, because our federal government failed to act quickly to acquire the vaccine supplies needed to prevent an outbreak, we are now in a public health emergency that is only going to escalate. Given that gay and bi men and trans people are the most impacted, it’s sadly becoming clear that we are being left behind once again.

“That’s why I’m calling on San Francisco and California to declare a State of Emergency. State of Emergency declarations will create significant flexibility around testing, contracting for services, and administration of vaccinations. It will allow us to use all the resources in our power to contain the outbreak. Right now, we don’t have enough vaccines or testing, and we need flexibility to expand access to both. We have no time to waste: this is happening now, it’s serious, and we need to do everything we can to contain it.”