New York declares disaster emergency over measles outbreak

New York State on Monday declared a statewide disaster emergency over a measles outbreak, the first such declaration by a U.S. state since cases began surging in 2025.



New York State Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order declaring a "State Disaster Emergency" in response to an increase in measles cases across the state.



According to the executive order, 108 cases of measles have been reported among New York State residents this year through Saturday.



Of those, 92 were reported since July 15, largely in under-immunized, rural communities in 18 counties.



There have been seven confirmed cases in New York City.



The outbreak comes as measles cases rise across rural areas of New York and neighboring states.



The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced on Monday that 1,004 measles cases have been confirmed across 39 counties in Pennsylvania so far in 2026, with five confirmed measles-associated deaths.