New York governor declares emergency over polio

• In an attempt to boost vaccination rates, the emergency declaration expands the number of individuals who are certified to administer vaccines against polio to include EMS workers, midwives and pharmacists.
• The order also requires healthcare workers to provide polio immunization data to the state's department of health, which will allow health officials "to focus vaccination activities where they are needed most."

What they're saying: "On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice," State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said in a statement.

• "If you or your child are unvaccinated or not up to date with vaccinations, the risk of paralytic disease is real," she added. "I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk at all."

The big picture: The state began monitoring wastewater after an unvaccinated individual tested positive for the virus in Rockland County, per New York's Department of Health.

• "All samples reported are samples of concern, meaning they are types of poliovirus that can cause paralysis in humans," the department noted.

Go deeper... New York City health officials identify polio in wastewater samples