Monkeypox in Florida Reaches Santa Rosa County, Confirmed Cases in State Now Exceeds 1800
Santa Rosa County in Florida confirms its first Monkeypox case weeks after the World Health Organization declared that the monkeypox outbreak is a public health emergency and international concern.
Currently, Florida ranks third among all fifty states, with confirmed and probable cases of the monkeypox virus at 1,870. But despite the looming number, Governor Ron DeSantis remains unfazed and mum about the issue.
Santa Rosa County Records Its First Monkeypox Case
According to ABC 3 WEAR-TV, the Florida Department of Health has logged its first and only case of Monkeypox in Santa Rosa County. Currently, the county is looking at another probable case apart from the confirmed one. Early in July, the publication reported the confirmed one to be a probable case at the time.
The Florida Department of Health also says that another probable case of monkeypox is being monitored in Escambia County.
Based on data, Florida is the state with the third-highest cases of the monkeypox virus, with 1,145 confirmed cases and 725 probable ones, bringing a total of 1,870.
Miami-Dade county makes up most of the cases with 694, Broward with 569, Orange with 141, Hillsborough with 121, Palm Beach with 84, and Pinellas with 81.
Individuals aged 30-34 years old account for most of the cases at 395 confirmed ones; the 35-39 years old bracket comes in second with 331. Meanwhile, two individuals aged 80-84 were confirmed to have the disease in Pinellas and Broward.
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Ron DeSantis Pushback on Declaring Monkeypox State of Emergency
Despite logging the third most cases in the country, Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing back on declaring a State of Emergency in Florida.
In a press briefing earlier this month, DeSantis announced that he would not declare an emergency. This is because he sees such as an attempt to "sow fear" among people.
"I am so sick of politicians - and we saw this with COVID - trying to sow fear into the population. We had people calling, mothers worried about whether their kids could catch it at school," DeSantis said in an earlier briefing.
He has also taken a jab at New York Governor Kathy Hochul and other officials who declared emergencies in their respective states, noting that it limits people their freedom.
As of August 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now recorded 18,101 confirmed cases. California is now taking the lead at 3,291 cases, and New York is trailing behind at 3,197. Florida takes the third spot, just above Texas with 1,604. Georgia is at 1,372, while Illinois just breached a thousand plus.
According to WESH 2, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would only reconsider declaring such an emergency once the cases surged.
''Our public health decisions in Florida will be based on facts, not fear," DeSantis' office says.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Ivan Korrs
WATCH: Monkeypox cases increase in South Florida - From WPLG Local 10
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