The Obama administration declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico late Friday over the Zika virus, saying the outbreak on the island has become serious enough to require the extraordinary step.
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The declaration allows the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to award grants, access emergency funds and temporarily appoint personnel where needed, among other things.
“The threat of Zika to future generations of Puerto Ricans is evident, and I feel a responsibility to do everything that is within my reach to make sure we fight the spread of the virus”, he said in a statement.
As of August 12, the Puerto Rico health department has had 10,690 laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika, including infections in 1035 pregnant women.
The Ministry of Health is in the process of carrying out an assessment to determine if there are cases of a new condition linked to the mosquito borne Zika virus.
The United States reported its first locally transmitted cases of Zika in Florida in July.
Infection with the Zika virus during pregnancy has already been found to cause the birth defect microcephaly in which the child has an abnormally small brain and head.
It believes the actual number of infections is likely higher because most people with Zika infections have no symptoms and might not seek testing.
The Obama administration in February requested $1.9 billion to fight the virus, which was first detected in Brazil a year ago and has spread rapidly in the Americas.
WASHINGTON – U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said the Obama administration may announce as early as Thursday, Aug. 11, that it is shifting more money into fighting the Zika virus. The format includes a panel of technical experts from the Ministry of Health and regional health authorities, who will facilitate discussion on Zika related issues as well as respond to questions from residents. Burwell traveled to the US territory in late April to evaluate its response to the outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in June that Puerto Rico could see dozens, if not hundreds, of babies with microcephaly in the coming months.
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The Republican legislation also would siphon off unused money under Obama’s signature 2010 healthcare law to combat Zika.
