New York State Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for polio after traces of the virus were found in the waters of five counties: Nassau County, Rockland County, Orange County, Sullivan County, and New York City.
The New York Times reports it.
The ordinance will allow the vaccination campaign to be accelerated, also allowing emergency services operators, midwives and pharmacists to administer the drug.
The first case of polio in nearly a decade was identified in July.
New York State health officials had begun to search for traces of the virus in sewage after identifying in July in Rockland County, north of the Big Apple, a first case of polio in the United States in nearly a decade.
The latest finding involved a sample of wastewater collected last month in Nassau County on Long Island, east of the city and is genetically linked to the Rockland polio case, according to health officials, such as to be evidence of an expansion of the spread of the virus in the community.
By August, traces of polio were found in New York City sewage.
State authorities today announced that they had identified the virus in 57 samples collected from different counties in the state between May and August.
"We can't roll the dice on polio," said state health commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett, stressing that the polio vaccine "is safe and effective. Don't wait to get vaccinated."
Health bodies said all unvaccinated New York residents, including 2-month-old babies, pregnant women, and those who have not completed the vaccine series, should be immunized immediately.
They also urged calls for some people, such as health workers in affected areas who treat patients who may have polio.
The statewide polio vaccination rate is 79 percent, but Rockland, Orange, and Sullivan counties have lower rates.
Health professionals also said it is possible that hundreds of people in the state have contracted polio without being aware of it.
Most people infected with polio have no symptoms but can still pass the virus to others for days or weeks.
The only confirmed case in New York involved an unidentified young adult who was not vaccinated.