Puerto Rico declares state of emergency due to increase in monkeypox cases

The governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, has declared a state of emergency due to the spread of monkeypox in the country in order to allow the Ministry of Health to implement new public safety measures.

The president has signed an executive order in which he orders that the Health portfolio be assigned “all the economic resources necessary to address this emergency.”

“This reality requires that all components of society join efforts in the interest of preventing the contagion and spread of monkeypox,” reads the missive, which extends for 30 days from September 1, when it went into effect.

In this sense, the governor considers “essential” the decree to “guarantee the necessary resources to strengthen surveillance, detection, prevention, vaccination and corresponding treatments in order to attend to the spread of this disease with the promptness and efficiency it deserves.”

This week, 114 confirmed cases have been reported in Puerto Rico, in addition to nearly 40 suspected cases. In addition, 1,675 people have been vaccinated against monkeypox in the country, according to ‘El Nuevo Día’.