Metro East Sun

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Illinois has approximately 600 cases of Monkeypox virus as of Tuesday; now, the state’s governor is addressing the virus.

However, similarly to when Gov. J.B. Pritzker used executive orders to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, Republicans say he’s abusing his power for Monkeypox.

“After countless emergency declarations related to (coronavirus), the tyrant could not help himself,” Rep. David Friess wrote on Facebook.

In his Facebook post, Friess shared a link to a Chicago Sun-Times article about Pritzker’s newest state of emergency—this one for Monkeypox cases. Pritzker declared on Monday a public health emergency and the state of Illinois a disaster area after 520 cases of the viral disease were confirmed—giving Illinois the third-highest case count in the nation.

“MPV [monkeypox virus] is a rare, but potentially serious disease that requires the full mobilization of all available public health resources to prevent the spread,” Pritzker said in a statement.

The proclamation allows the Illinois Department of Public Health to better coordinate logistics across state agencies and get help in distributing vaccines to prevent and treat the disease. It also helps Illinois better coordinate help from the federal government.

Although there are claims that Monkeypox is an STD, especially after data showed several men who had sex with self-identifying men got infected, the CDC noted the virus typically transfers via close skin-to-skin contact like cuddling and isn’t an STD. The CDC added there’s still research if the virus can spread through a human fluid like semen or urine.

The CDC report that Illinois is in the top 5 states for Monkeypox infections, 602 as of Aug. 5.

Unfortunately, since Monkeypox spreads in many ways, like touching objects and surfaces that a person with the virus used, ABC news reported a person working at a Rantoul, Ill., daycare may have exposed the virus to the children in its care after testing positive for the virus.

“The people who have been exposed, potentially, do not need to be in quarantine, so they are being screened and assessed,” officials said to ABC News. “Anyone with even a tiny little suspicion, we will put them in isolation pending any type of results, but they have the guidance for cleaning and they have done that probably a lot more than is even necessary.”

With both declarations in effect, officials can more easily secure Monekypox vaccine shipments and ramp up distribution to ensure the most impacted communities receive treatment as soon as possible, according to a news release from Pritzker's office.

“Proclaiming a state of disaster will allow the Illinois Department of Public Health to expand vaccine and testing capacities with the help of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and via state and federal recovery and assistance funds,” the release said. "This proclamation will aid in facilitating the complicated logistics and transportation of vaccines across the state to reach the most impacted communities efficiently.”