Once Again Confirmed Cases of Measles Skyrocket in Hudson Valley

The number of measles cases continues to skyrocket in the Hudson Valley and one local county announced their first confirmed cases of measles.

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On Wednesday, Rockland County health officials confirmed there are now 173 reported cases of the illness in the area. There were about 150 cases of measles in the area when Rockland County Executive Ed Day declared a state of emergency on March 26.

The state of emergency banned anyone who is under 18 years of age and unvaccinated against the measles from public places in Rockland County.

Following the ban, parents of unvaccinated children filed two cases in New York State Supreme Court to repeal the ban. On Friday, Judge Rolf Thorsen temporarily blocked Rockland County from banning unvaccinated children.

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Meanwhile, the Rockland County outbreak is believed to have exposed children in Westchester County. Westchester County Executive George Latimer confirmed the first recent cases of measles in Westchester.

Measles was confirmed in eight unvaccinated Westchester County children, six are siblings, and all are from northern Westchester, officials say. The children range in age from six months to 14-years-old.

The children appear to have been exposed to measles in Rockland County and Brooklyn where there have been ongoing outbreaks, officials say. New York City Mayor, Bill DeBlasio recently declared the measles outbreak a public health emergency.

Last week, the Orange County Department of Health announced there are now 15 confirmed cases of measles in Orange County, up from 12 during their last report.