GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY ON MONKEYPOX REUTERS REPORTS
The governor of the State of New York Kathy Hochul has declared an emergency in the state over the continued spread of monkeypox.
“I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our ongoing efforts to confront the monkeypox outbreak,” Hochul tweeted. https://bit.ly/3oFYEMB
She added that more than one in four monkeypox cases in the United States are in New York, also having a disproportionate impact on at-risk groups.
https://jac.yahoosandbox.com/1.2.0/safeframe.html
As of July 29, New York state had a total of 1,383 confirmed orthopoxvirus/monkeypox cases, according to New York Department of Health’s website.
Earlier on Friday, Brazil and Spain reported the first monkeypox-related deaths outside Africa.
The World Health Organization last week declared a global health emergency, its highest level of alert, over the monkeypox outbreak.
WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER BEGINS “DRIVE THROUGH” ORTHOPOXVIRUS POXVIRIDNE VACCINATIONS WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3, then 9 TO 5 PM Thursday and Friday–and Monday Through Friday thereafter. By Appointment ONLY. Call 914-326-2060 MONDAY MORNING.
New York television stations reported Friday evening the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla would begin “Drive-through” Orthopoxvirus Poxviridne vaccinations Wednesday August 3, for those who qualify, over 18 years of age and displaying symptoms. There is some confustion on the Friday television reports as to whether the vaccinations begin Monday or Wednesday. But there is no one to answer calls on the appointment number given by the Westchester Medical Center Friday evening. The Westchester Medical Center is at
- Westchester Medical Center, 15 Oval Connector, Valhalla, NY 10595
Monday through Friday from 9 am – 5 pm, appointment required.
Call (914) 326-2060 to schedule an appointment. - (Editor’s Note:) The number is not active until Monday morning. You get an answering machine if you call it today.
The by-appointment Drive-Through vaccinations at Westchester Medical Center have to be scheduled in advance by calling 914-326-2060 which WPCNR called Saturday morning and by answering machine was advised to call “during business hours, 9 to 5 Monday morning”.
However you must be demonstrating symptoms of the disease.
The Westchester County Department of Health has updated its information on the Orthopoxvirus Poxviridne disease (it’s official scientific name) with this more detailed information on what symptoms and how it infects as follows:
As of this hour, 10:30 A.M. Saturday the Department of Health website reports there are no appointments currently available next week at the Department of Health vaccination location at 134 Court Street, they have all been scheduled.
What are the symptoms of monkeypox?
Symptoms of monkeypox usually include a rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain and low energy. The rash usually begins within one to three days of the start of a fever. Lesions can be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, and can then crust, dry up and fall off. Monkeypox rashes can resemble some sexually transmitted diseases, including herpes and syphilis.
How does monkeypox spread from person to person?
People with monkeypox are infectious while they have symptoms (normally for between two and four weeks). You can catch monkeypox through close physical contact with someone who has symptoms. The rash, bodily fluids (such as pus or blood from skin lesions) and scabs are particularly infectious. Clothing, bedding, towels and other shared objects like eating utensils/dishes that have been contaminated with the virus can also infect others. People who closely interact with someone who has monkeypox, such as health care workers, household members and sexual partners are at greater risk for infection.
Is monkeypox a sexually transmitted infection?
Although there is no evidence that monkeypox is sexually transmitted at this time, monkeypox cases to date in Westchester, New York State, the United States and internationally have been transmitted through sex. Anyone who has close physical contact with someone who is infectious is at risk. If you or a recent partner (from the last 21 days) have been exposed or have symptoms, you should see a healthcare provider (remind them monkeypox is circulating), cover your rash/sores, wear a mask, and avoid close contact with others.
What do monkeypox rashes or lesions look like?
How can I protect myself and others against monkeypox?
Avoid close contact (touching sores, kissing, sex) with anyone who has a rash or symptoms of monkeypox.
If you live with someone who has monkeypox, the infected person should isolate from others and and cover any skin lesion if they can. When you are physically close to them, they should wear a medical mask, and you should wear one also. Avoid skin-to-skin contact whenever possible and use disposable gloves if you have to have any direct contact with their rash. Also wear a mask and gloves when handling any of their clothes or bedding if the person cannot do it themselves.
Regularly clean your hands with soap and water, especially after contact with the person who is infected, their clothes, bed sheets, towels and other personal items that they have touched. Wash the person’s clothes, towels and bedsheets and eating utensils with warm water and detergent.
Is there a vaccine for monkeypox?
Yes, there is a vaccine for monkeypox. People at higher risk for monkeypox infection may consider vaccination with the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine. In accordance with CDC guidance, this includes those who:
- Had contact with someone who had a rash that looks like monkeypox or with someone who was diagnosed with confirmed or probable monkeypox
- Had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity; this includes men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, digital application (“app”), or social event such as at a bar or party
- Traveled outside the United States to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox activity has been ongoing
Find out What to Expect After Your Monkeypox Vaccine.
Are there treatments available for monkeypox?
Antiviral medications exist to treat monkeypox, which may be appropriate for some people. Prescription medicated mouthwashes and topical gels can also provide pain relief and keep rashes and lesions clean.Talk to your healthcare provider about prescription medications, as well as the use of over-the-counter oral antihistamines and topical agents.
Pittsfield Massachusetts Residents File Suit over Verizon Cell Tower Injuries
Pittsfield, MA – Lawyers supported by Children’s Health Defense (CHD) are representing four families in a suit in Massachusetts Superior Court seeking to reinstate the Pittsfield Board of Health’s cease and desist order against Verizon. The case is the next step in the resident’s 24-month ordeal that began when Verizon turned on a cell tower in their neighborhood known as “Shacktown.” As soon as the tower went operational, people began getting sick. Almost 20 have been definitively identified, but more may be negatively affected.
The Pittsfield Board of Health issued the cease and desist on April 11, 2022, after a long and thorough investigation into the health impacts of Verizon’s tower. It rescinded the order on June 1, 2022, after Verizon sued in federal court. W. Scott McCollough (McCollough Law Firm, PC) and Paul Revere, III (Law Offices of Paul Revere, III) are representing the Plaintiffs and argue in their suit that the interference of several city officials was improper, unlawful and tainted the entire process.
The Pittsfield Board of Health studied the relevant scientific and medical information, including more than 1,000 peer-reviewed studies. The Board interviewed scientists and medical professionals. It took evidence from those and met with Verizon Wireless. The Board discovered the cell tower was making 17 individuals ill, and their homes were so uninhabitable that many had to move away, while others moved in with relatives, and some slept in their cars. The tower had rendered sleep elusive, cognition impaired, while some children were vomiting in their beds at night. Vertigo, heart palpitations and severe headaches were part of the constellation of neurological symptoms experienced by the affected neighbors.
On April 11, 2022, the Board issued an “Emergency Order” having found health and sanitary code violations and declared that the Verizon cell tower is a public nuisance. They gave Verizon seven days to request a hearing and, if it did not, then it had to discontinue operation. Verizon then filed a lawsuit contending the Board is powerless and cannot protect Pittsfield residents from the tower’s toxic wireless emissions.
The Board has bravely tried to resolve the problem, but Verizon has refused to admit to the harms it is inflicting, or to engage in collaborative efforts to resolve these harms. Even worse, the Board and the residents are not just having to deal with Verizon. Others in the city have persistently tried to prevent the Board from providing meaningful relief. Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer, City Solicitor Stephen Pagnotta and former Dir. of Community Development Deanna Ruffer have done all they could to frustrate the Board’s independent authority and duty to end the toxic wireless emissions, or at least mitigate them. The residents’ suit contends that these three officials have violated the state’s nepotism laws and the ethics standards for government employees and attorneys. The lawsuit extensively documents their specific actions and details the financial and legal conflicts of interest that are driving them.
Tyer, Pagnotta and Ruffer, in cooperation with Verizon, thwarted the Board’s efforts to secure outside counsel, thereby ensuring that the Board could not defend its Emergency Order. As a result, the Board was coerced into rescinding the Emergency Order on June 1, 2022. The residents’ lawsuit challenges the Board’s decision to rescind, but its principal focus is on Tyer, Pagnotta Ruffer. The complaint seeks a court declaration that their interference was improper, unlawful and tainted the entire process. If the Superior Court grants the requested relief, these individuals will have to stop their improper interference and the Board will be allowed the flexibility it needs to remediate the harms it has already found to exist.
“Pittsfield has previously taken on companies that were hurting its citizens,” said CHD president and general counsel Mary Holland. “The residents of the Shacktown neighborhood epitomize the reality that prosperity means nothing if your citizens are sick and even dying. The only difference here is that it is Verizon, not General Electric, and the toxin is wireless radiation not PCBs. When GE left Pittsfield, it created an economic vacuum but moving the tower to address the residents’ suffering, including three homeowners with cancer, does not create a hardship for anyone. Several commercial landowners in Pittsfield have offered their property for the tower. In this picturesque city in the Berkshires with 40% open space, Verizon can put their tower where it is not a potentially lethal nuisance.”
“The Board is trying to do the right thing, but they have been prevented from carrying out their duties because of cronyism and favoritism,” continued Holland. “We hope that this suit will stop the interference and free up the Board so it can finally force Verizon to the negotiating table as the Emergency Order intended prior to its forced rescission.”