The Biden Administration declared a health emergency over the growing Monkeypox outbreak Thursday.
The declaration allows the federal government to amp up its response to the virus without the usual regulatory barriers.
“I want to make an announcement today that I will be declaring a public health emergency,” Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said in a call with reporters Thursday about the monkeypox outbreak.
“We’re prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus.”
“We urge every American to take monkey pox seriously and to take responsibility and help us tackle this virus,” he continued.
The country has reported more than 6,000 cases of the virus, which cause fever, aches, and bumps or sores on the body.
It spreads through drawn-out skin-to-skin contact, and the main demographic affected so far has been gay and bisexual men.
Biden officials has been under scrutiny for a slow response to the growing outbreak, particularly because vaccines for the virus already exist.
The country currently only has the capacity for 80,000 monkeypox tests per week.
With Post wires.
