SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Sacramento County health officials have made an emergency declaration in their fight against the monkeypox outbreak in California.
Sacramento County made the public health and local emergency declarations Tuesday afternoon. It's a move that will ensure resources and funding are available to the county's monkeypox response.
“Proclaiming a state of emergency in response to monkeypox helps the County to ensure uninterrupted access to resources necessary to lessen disease transmission,” said Don Nottoli, Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors. “The proclamations should not be a reason for elevated concern; but rather, considered as mechanisms to assist in our mission to better respond to and contain the virus.”
The announcements follows other recent declarations made by San Francisco, San Diego and the State of California.
Sacramento County had 73 cases when they made the declaration.
"The reason for that (declaration) is so that we are able to get access to additional resources, such as mutual aid," said Dr. Oliva Kasirye, Public Health Officer for Sacramento County. "We know there are challenges with people, for example, being able to get tested, and also being able to access treatment and the vaccine and also resources for those in isolation."
Dr. Kasirye said the proclamation doesn't indicate an increase in risk to the general population. Instead, it marks the virus as an urgent issue for local health systems to work together.
"One thing we would like to do is be able to open up more slots at our public health clinics so people have more access to testing, and then with the treatment because of the approval process right now in place with the Center for Disease Control, there are only a few providers that are able to complete all the papers," Dr. Kasirye said.
The county is working closely with UC Davis Health and Kaiser Permanente. UC Davis Health is recommending patients who are concerned about a possible monkeypox infection to contact their primary care physician's office and ask to speak to an advice nurse. The advice nurse can then provide guidance on how to obtain further evaluation and assist with scheduling a test if needed.
Symptoms of monkeypox include high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a widespread rash across the face and body.
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:
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