New COVID variant spreads as officials warn of monkeypox

LARAMIE — While there are no confirmed cases of monkeypox in Wyoming, the virus is spreading elsewhere across the United States. At the same time, the BA.5 subvariant of COVID-19 is now the most dominant in the state. In the third year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox now also is raising concern for health officials across the county.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced a public health emergency declaration for the monkeypox outbreak during a press conference Thursday.

Nationwide, 6,617 people have tested positive for monkeypox. This numbe...