Monkeypox wars between Nassau Democratic legislators and Republican Blakeman

It was a viral war of words last week between Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and four Democratic county legislators, as they traded accusations of "false hysteria" and "misleading information."

The subject?

Monkeypox. The latest virus raising alarm across the country.

Monkeypox is similar to Smallpox, but is less lethal. The CDC says its symptoms include fever, headache, exhaustion but most distinctive, "a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus."

Unlike Covid-19, Monkeypox is not transmitted by breathing in the exhaled air of infected people, but through close physical contact, including "kissing, cuddling or sex." or through touching clothing that had touched the rash, according to the CDC.

That's why it has become a touchy topic; it makes Monkeypox more similar to HIV and AIDs, which has been used in the past to discriminate against members of gay communities.

Cases are increasing across the county mostly among men who have sex with men.

The New York Department of Health reported Friday that the state had a total of 490 confirmed Monkeypox cases, 4 in Suffolk and 3 in Nassau.

Democrats touched off the war on Wednesday in two letters: one calling for legislative hearings and the other chiding Blakeman for failing "to
effectively communicate with the public or your colleagues in government a cohesive plan for aggressively addressing this emerging threat to public health."

Siela Bynoe

Democratic Legislators Arnold Drucker of Plainview, Laura Mule of Freeport, Siela Bynoe of Westbury and Carrie Solages of Lawrence joined in separate letters to Republican Legis. Rose Marie Walker, who chairs the legislatures' health and social services committee and to Blakeman.

They asked Walked to schedule a hearing "for the purpose of analyzing and reviewing the County’s initial response to the emergence of the monkeypox virus in Nassau County."

Arnie Drucker

They ripped into Blakeman saying his response to the virus was "disappointing" and "distressing" in in contrast to the leaders of neighboring counties.

"Unfortunately, in the time since Nassau’s first case of monkeypox was confirmed on July 8, it is our belief that your administration has failed to effectively communicate basic information to residents - such as when vaccines will become available or the process through which qualified individuals can schedule an appointment," they wrote.

Carrie Solages

The legislators say most of the information they have gleened from the media has been confusing. Although Nassau received an initial 400 doses of the vaccine and will receive another 1,240 does, they said it has not been clear to them how and where high-priority people can access the medication..

"Residents must have confidence that crucial public health resources are being deployed
effectively and in the most transparent and culturally competent manner possible. We urge you to immediately engage with experts and trusted community stakeholders - including leaders of the LGBTQ+ community, which has borne almost the entire brunt of this emergency - for the purpose of correcting the shortcomings of your administration’s response to this serious public health issue," they concluded.

Debra Mule

Blakeman had appeared on News12 on July 8 when Nassau confirmed its first case of Monkeypox.

He announced the availability of vaccines and said residents should not panic because the virus is not as contagious as Covid-19. "This is not coronavirus - it will never be a pandemic," Blakeman told News12.

After receiving the Democrat letter Wednesday, Blakeman immediately fired back.

Bruce Blakeman

"Your reference of misinformation could not be further from the truth," Blakeman wrote Democrats. " This is not a county initiative; it is initiative of the State of New York. All Monkeypox vaccines allotted to NassauCounty come exclusively from New York State and are being administered by Northwell Health and NUMC, not the Nassau County Department of Health."

He said his office had explained everything it was doing to a Democratic staffer earlier in the day, had been in close contact with the state about the virus and vaccine access, and posted all information on the county website as soon as it became available.

"Our Health Commissioner has stressed to me that this is not an epidemic and it is not capable of becoming one, "Blakeman wrote. "It is important for individuals to consult with their health care provider in order to determine if it is prudent to receive the Monkeypox vaccine. Otherwise, a rush on vaccines created by a false hysteria will mean that the people who need the vaccine the most will not have them available."

He concluded, "It is not helpful to make false accusations, disseminate false information and to sensationalize a public health concern that is being monitored by our Department of Health and New York State. If you have any criticism, you should contact your State Legislature and make sure you have accurate information."

Meanwhile, in response to the request for a hearing on Monkeypox, a spokesperson for the Republican majority on the legislature said, "We will continue to work with Nassau’s healthcare experts to determine if and when a hearing is necessary."

So the ball is back in the Democrat's court.

Here is the Democrats' letter: