Gov. Pritzker Declares Monkeypox A Public Health Emergency

Governor J-B Pritzker is declaring monkeypox a public health emergency. He made the announcement yesterday, as Illinois currently has the third highest number of cases in the U.S. By declaring the state a “disaster area,” it allows the Illinois Department of Public Health to better coordinate with other state and federal agencies on vaccine distribution and disease prevention. As of Friday, there are 330 cases of monkeypox cases in Chicago.