Nicolas Rupp News Today

The alert level for travelers has been raised by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as monkeypox continues to spread. The number of confirmed cases of the virus has reached more than 1,000 worldwide, including two in Salt Lake County .

The CDC has raised the alert level for travelers as monkeypox continues to spread worldwide, including at least 34 confirmed cases in the United States — two in Salt Lake County. Travelers are being advised to ‘practice enhanced precautions’ to avoid the virus but wearing a mask is not on the agency’s list.

Utah has two of the nation’s six reported monkeypox cases but no vaccine for the virus. Both the Salt Lake County Health Department and the Utah Department of Health say the smallpox vaccine that can protect people exposed to the virus from getting monkeypox can be obtained quickly from the federal government if needed.

Utah doesnt have any of the vaccines for monkeypox, but theres no need to start stocking up since it should be available if needed from the federal government, public health officials said Tuesday.

For Utahns, much of President Joe Bidens new plan to battle COVID-19 variants as the omicron variant of the virus continues to surface in the United States likely will sound familiar.