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Day announced the order on Tuesday.
The declaration aims to contain a measles outbreak that began in October; 153 cases were confirmed in the county.
"We are not punishing people who are doing the right thing and following the rules, we just want to encourage everyone to do what is needed to put an end to this epidemic," said Lyon. The step is "extremely unusual. [We] do not think it has been done anywhere in the country ".
"State law gives health departments the power to widely apply control measures in response to epidemics," wrote in an email Jason McDonald, spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Control. disease prevention, indicating that the CDC was providing technical assistance to departments.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that is prevented by the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The CDC recommends that the two-dose vaccine be administered first between 12 and 15 months, then between 4 and 6 years of age.
This is the 26th week – the sixth month – of the outbreak in Rockland County, according to Lyon, which said it was the longest-lasting epidemic in the United States since the declaration of the elimination of the measles in 2000.
Day said that the epidemic would not last indefinitely. "It is a public health crisis and it is time to sound the alarm, so that all take the measures that are required to protect themselves and their neighbors; for the health and safety of each of us in Rockland, "he said in a press release.
Public places include synagogues, churches, schools, restaurants, shops and public buses. "Public places are defined as: a place where more than 10 people are supposed to gather," says the press release.
Children who are aware of the vaccination schedule but who are not fully vaccinated against measles because they are not old enough are exempted from the order.
The ordinance does not apply to people over the age of 18 because "we did not want to stop anyone from going to work", but unvaccinated adults are also encouraged to get vaccinated.
According to Lyon, it will be applied in the same way as all the laws: during the investigation of the place and the place where an infected person was exposed, the persons identified as not vaccinated and the persons being in public places will be referred to the prosecutor's office.
"The goal is not to sue people, we do not want to condemn people, we want to encourage people to get vaccinated," he said.
Nearly 17,000 vaccines were administered in the county during the outbreak.
"As this epidemic continued, our inspectors began to meet the resistance of those they were trying to protect, and they were hung up on the wall or ordered to stop calling. says "we do not discuss this; only come back" when visiting infected people as part of their investigations. This type of reaction is unacceptable and irresponsible. It endangers the health and well-being of others and displays a shocking lack of responsibility and concern for other members of our community, "Day said.
The epidemic has mostly been isolated in a few communities in Rockland County, which lies just north of New York, but the entire community is in danger, he said, noting that there had been complications among patients, including premature delivery and stroke. handle of hospitalizations.
"Every new confirmed case is a dice roll that will cause more complications, and there are many problems that can happen in any case."
New York City has also been confronted with the measles epidemic, with 181 cases reported since October, according to the city's health department. The outbreak began when an unvaccinated resident was infected during his visit to Israel and returned with the disease. He mainly touched the observant Jewish neighborhoods. At least 345 cases of measles have been reported throughout the country since October.
This year, 314 cases have been reported nationally, according to the CDC.
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