California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the state Monday due to the current monkeypox outbreak.
The alert was issued to help the state health department amp up its vaccination, education and outreach efforts in response to the virus, Newsom said in a statement.
"California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, contact tracing and community partnerships strengthened during the pandemic to ensure that those most at risk are our focus for vaccines, treatment and outreach," Newsom said.
How to protect against the Monkeypox virus
He continued, "We'll continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization."
The first California case of the current outbreak of monkeypox was confirmed May 25. The total count in the state is now 825, compared to 5,811 cases nationwide.
So far, California has administered 25,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine, and received about 61,000 doses, Newsom said.
