NYC to feds: Release Zika funding before it gets worse
111 cases in Brooklyn
Calling Zika a growing public health crisis, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett and elected officials on Monday urged the federal government to release the full $1.9 billion in emergency funding requested by President Barack Obama to combat the virus, spread by mosquitoes and sexual contact.
New York City has dedicated $21 million in funding over the next three years to fight Zika, but the city can’t do it alone, de Blasio said.
“We’ve made a major effort here,” de Blasio said, comparing NYC’s Zika response to its Ebola efforts. “We expect the federal government to be a partner. This requires a coordinated response.”