Long Beach declares local emergency over monkeypox

LONG BEACH, Calif. - A local emergency has been declared in Long Beach due to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak, city officials announced Wednesday. 

It's part of the city's efforts to stop the spread of monkeypox and to expand vaccine eligibility especially to those at highest risk, the Long beach Department of Health and Human Services said. 

"We are continuing to work proactively to protect the health of every Long Beach resident, and this proclamation will allow us to mobilize more resources," said Mayor Robert Garcia. "By expanding vaccine eligibility even further, we can continue working to slow the spread and quickly protect our highest risk populations."

The proclamation comes a day after the city reported its first case of monkeypox in a child.

Los Angeles County on Tuesday also declared a local emergency to strengthen its response to monkeypox. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency on Monday also in response to monkeypox.

To learn more about the city's efforts and get more vaccine information, visit longbeach.gov/monkeypox.