Declaring a Disaster in the State of New York
No. 20
DECLARING A DISASTER IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK
WHEREAS, the monkeypox virus has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization as of July 23, 2022;
WHEREAS, due to the ongoing spread of the monkeypox virus and the significant risk that this virus poses to human health, the monkeypox virus has been declared an Imminent Threat to Public Health by the New York State Commissioner of Health as of July 28, 2022;
WHEREAS, New York is now experiencing one of the highest rates of transmission in the country, with 1383 cases reported in New York State as of July 29, 2022;
WHEREAS, local health departments are actively responding to the monkeypox outbreak through investigation support, contact identification and monitoring, vaccine administration for exposed contacts and focused current high-risk populations, and education and outreach;
WHEREAS, the State government must support the municipalities, localities, and counties in their efforts to facilitate and administer vaccinations and tests for monkeypox, and to prevent the disease from continuing to spread;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the Laws of the State of New York, hereby find, pursuant to Section 28 of Article 2-B of the Executive Law, that a disaster has occurred in New York State, for which the affected local governments are unable to respond adequately, and I do hereby declare a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York through August 28, 2022; and
IN ADDITION, pursuant to Section 29 of Article 2-B of the Executive Law, I direct the implementation of the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and authorize all necessary State agencies to take appropriate action to assist local governments and individuals in containing, preparing for, responding to and recovering from this State disaster emergency, to protect state and local property, and to provide such other assistance as is necessary to protect public health, welfare, and safety.
FURTHER, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend or modify any statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster emergency or if necessary to assist or aid in coping with such disaster, I hereby temporarily suspend or modify for the period from the date of this Executive Order through August 28, 2022 the following:
- Subdivisions 6 and 7 of section 3001 of the Public Health Law, subdivisions (o) and (p) of section 800.3, and section 800.15 of Title 10 of the NYCRR, to the extent necessary to allow certified emergency medical technicians-paramedics and advanced EMS providers, providing community paramedicine services with prior approval of the Department of Health, to administer vaccinations against monkeypox pursuant to a non-patient specific order, including in non-emergency environments and locations, provided that emergency medical technicians-paramedics and advanced EMS providers must first meet conditions set by the Commissioner of Health;
- Section 6951 of the Education Law, and section 79-5.5 of Title 8 of NYCRR, insofar as such provisions limit the practice of midwifery to management of normal pregnancies, child birth and postpartum care as well as primary preventive reproductive health care of essentially healthy women, and newborn evaluation, resuscitation and referral for infants, and insofar as it limits the practice of midwifery to midwives who practice in accordance with collaborative relationships with licensed physicians or hospitals, so that for the purposes of this disaster emergency, midwives may administer vaccinations against monkeypox to any patient pursuant to a non-patient specific order under the medical supervision of licensed physicians, licensed physician assistants, or certified nurse practitioners, provided, however, that a midwife without a certificate issued by the State Education Department for administering immunizing agents, must meet conditions set by the Commissioner of Health;
- Subdivision 2 of section 6801 of the Education Law and 63.9 of Title 8 of the NYCRR, to the extent necessary to allow pharmacists to administer vaccinations against monkeypox pursuant to a non-patient specific order;
- Subdivision 6 of section 6527 of the Education Law, subdivision 4 of section 6909 of the Public Health Law, and section 64.7 of Title 8 of the NYCRR, to the extent necessary to permit physicians and certified nurse practitioners to issue a non-patient specific regimen to nurses or any such other persons authorized by law or by this executive order to administer vaccinations against monkeypox; and
- Subdivision 3 of Section 2168 of the Public Health Law and Section 66-1.2 of Title 10 of the NYCRR, to the extent necessary to suspend the requirement that health care providers, including registered nurses and pharmacists, who administer monkeypox vaccine to persons 19 years of age or older are required to obtain consent of the vaccinee in order to report such vaccination to the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS) or the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR), and such provisions are further modified to the extent necessary to require all monkeypox vaccinations for any individual (child or adult) to be reported to NYSIIS or CIR, as applicable, within 72 hours of administration of a monkeypox vaccination. Nothing in this paragraph shall be read to permit the vaccination of any person without their consent or the consent of another person legally authorized to provide such consent.
G I V E N under my hand and the Privy Seal of the
State in the City of Albany this twenty
-ninth day of July in the year two thousand
twenty-two.
BY THE GOVERNOR
Secretary to the Governor