SACRAMENTO, Calif. — San Diego declared a local public health emergency Tuesday afternoon. The decision was expected after Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency order on Monday. The order allows for a streamlined process to help with vaccinations.
In San Diego, there are 46 cases and the county says they will start releasing numbers daily. In Sacramento, there are 52 confirmed cases.
Those at highest risk will be prioritized for the vaccine, and right now, the focus is on those in the LGBTQ community.
Monkeypox is spread mostly from skin to skin contact, but it can also last on fabric. With that in mind, some organizations in California are taking extra precautions.
My Sister’s House, a women’s shelter in Sacramento, stopped taking used clothes and bedding donations to prevent the spread of monkeypox.
“We are trying to minimize the risk for our employees and volunteers,” Yen Marshall, with My Sister's House, said.
Marshall said it was a difficult decision.
“It's a catch-22 situation because we really need these donations,” Marshall said.
The Salvation Army, which runs a large shelter and several other housing developments, said they are waiting for guidelines from the CDC, the state and local health departments. They already have rigorous cleaning measures in place for COVID-19.
“We adjust our operations according to that guidance," said Captain Larry Carmichael. "We will not practice outside of that guidance because it's in the best interest of those when we serve to keep in line with public policy.”
As of Tuesday, the guidance from the emergency order is aimed at helping streamlining vaccination, testing and treatment for monkeypox.
Newsom said the order also allows for EMS personnel, for example, to help administer the vaccines. However, Sacramento County said they have the personnel needed.
Nathan Fletcher, San Diego County Supervisor, said everyone is taking this virus very seriously, but he said it is not like COVID. Monkeypox is not new, and officials know how it spreads. There's also a vaccine for it, however it comes down to resources and needing more vaccines.
"Our response will really rely on education, prevention, vaccination and treatment, and we think those are the tools we have at our disposal and we will continue to use those," Fletcher said.
San Diego County is the latest after San Francisco to call a local health emergency.
"We'll continue to apply pressure at the state and federal level to make sure that we get the resources, the vaccines and the treatments that we need," Mayor Todd Gloria said.
Tracking monkeypox in California
Here's a look at how many cases of probable and confirmed cases have been reported in each county across California:
WATCH ALSO:
