NEW YORK >> New York City officials declared monkeypox a public health emergency Saturday, saying the city is the epicenter of the state’s outbreak and the move will boost measures to help slow the spread of the disease.

“We estimate that approximately 150,000 New Yorkers may currently be at risk for monkeypox exposure,” Mayor Eric Adams and Dr. Ashwin Vasan, commissioner of the city’s health and mental hygiene department, said in a joint statement. “This outbreak must be met with urgency, action, and resources, both nationally and globally, and this declaration of a public health emergency reflects the seriousness of the moment.”

The declaration takes effect immediately, the statement said. It comes just a day after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order declaring a state disaster emergency.

San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to declare a local health emergency on Thursday.

— CNN