CHICAGO — The White House has now declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and the state issued a similar declaration earlier this week. The emergency response comes just ahead of Northalsted’s Market Days Festival.
Thousands of people come to market days each year. Chicago’s top doctor is warning people the virus can infect anyone but also says right now most of the infections have been diagnosed in men who have sex with men.
The demand for monkeypox vaccinations still far outweighs the available supply. The virus is spread through close contact with someone who has it.
The U.S. leads in the world in confirmed cases with more than 7,000. New York has the most cases followed by California and then Illinois. Most of the cases in the state are in Chicago. Right now, there are close to 450 cases across 55 of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. The organizers of Market Days also issuing warnings and urging caution for people who are coming to the festival.
They are also reminding people that COVID-19 isn’t over yet as well and people to take precautions to avoid that virus as well.