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Day Declines To Renew Rockland's State Of Emergency For Measles

Rockland County Executive Ed Day announced that he will not renew the state of emergency order enacted earlier this year in an effort to stem the rise of measles cases during the 10-month outbreak. 

Rockland County officials will not renew a state of emergency order connected with the measles outbreak.

Rockland County officials will not renew a state of emergency order connected with the measles outbreak.

Photo Credit: Rockland County Government

The state of emergency, which expires at midnight Wednesday, July 25 was declared on March 25 and has since been renewed three times. 

The order, which banned unvaccinated and exposed people from public spaces, was a "last straw" effort to contain the continually growing number of measles cases in the county which began with visitors to and from Israel in October 2018.

Since then the number of measles cases had continued to grow weekly as unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children and adults were exposed, the Rockland Department of Health said.

The majority of the cases has mainly affected the Orthodox Jewish community in New Square, Spring Valley, and Monsey, health officials said.

Since the Rockland outbreak and others across the state, the legislator passed a new law in June which eliminates religious exemptions as a reason for not receiving vaccines. 

Day plans to hold a press conference on Thursday, July 25 to discuss his reasons for not renewing the state of emergency.

As of Tuesday, July 23, there have been 282 confirmed cases of measles. 

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