The growing number of measles cases across rural areas of New York and neighboring states has led Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state disaster emergency. On Monday, Hochul issued an executive order that enables the state to respond more swiftly to the outbreak and allows health care professionals to take additional steps that will help get more New Yorkers vaccinated and tested, if needed. As of Saturday, there have been 108 confirmed measles cases in New York this year, with all but seven reported outside New York City, amid a global and domestic increase in cases.
Hochul also announced the launch of a measles dashboard that allows the public and health care officials to track local health risks and raise awareness about measles. According to the dashboard, Chautauqua County has now had three confirmed cases of measles this year.
