ON ALERT

Illinois Declares State of Emergency Over Monkeypox

Governor JB Pritzker emphasized the importance of prioritizing the LGBTQ+ community’s access to healthcare while avoiding stigmatization.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker declared a statewide state of emergency over monkeypox on Monday, following similar declarations in California and New York City. The decision allows state agencies to coordinate resources more efficiently and work with federal authorities. Pritzker said in a statement that he made the declaration “to ensure smooth coordination between state agencies and all levels of government.” He also emphasized the importance of prioritizing the LGBTQ+ community—a vast majority of monkeypox cases are concentrated in men who have sex with other men—while avoiding stigmatization. As of now, the state of emergency is scheduled to last for 30 days.