California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency due to an outbreak of monkeypox.
"Governor Gavin Newsom, as part of his fight against the monkeypox outbreak, today declared a state of emergency to promote vaccination efforts in the state," according to the state chief executive's website.
Vaccination of California residents will be based on infrastructure established during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state has received more than 61,000 doses of smallpox vaccine from the federal authorities. More than 25,000 people have been vaccinated so far.
Authorities have been conducting about a thousand tests weekly since late July. According to the US federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 827 smallpox-infected monkeys have been identified in California.
WHO chief Tedros Adanom Gebreyesus declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency on July 23.