Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday declared the spreading monkeypox virus to be a statewide public health emergency. Illinois has the third most monkeypox cases of any state, behind only New York and California. Pritzker’s declaration, which marks the state as a monkeypox “disaster area,” will allow public health officials to more aggressively respond to the outbreak, the governor’s office said. The declaration, effective immediately and in place for 30 days, allows state agencies to coordinate more efficiently and use new tools in the fight against the disease, the governor’s statement said. The Illinois Department of Public Health can now expand vaccine and testing capacities with the help of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and get access to state and federal recovery and assistance funds, the statement said. The declaration will also help facilitate vaccination logistics, the statement added. Pritzker’s emergency declaration follows one made July 23 by the World Health Organization. San Francisco’s mayor declared an emergency over the virus on Thursday, and New York City’s mayor declared one on Saturday. Illinois is currently reporting 520 confirmed or presumed monkeypox cases, the governor’s statement said. Nearly a tenth of the country’s cases have appeared in Illinois. Click the link in our bio for more.