ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — This week on Empire State Weekly, New York is continuing its response to ongoing health concerns, as both monkeypox and COVID continue to develop. Last week, New York Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett declared monkeypox an imminent threat to public health.

Solomon Syed is joined by Dr. Arthur Gran, an infectious disease specialist at Samaritan Hospital, to discuss the challenges faced by healthcare professionals as they deal with both. Dr. Gran says it’s a challenge to deal with the emerging threat of Monkeypox while also encouraging patients to protect against COVID infection.

Also this week, we’re reviewing some new resources and funding from the state concerning mental health. Dr. Ann Marie Sullivan explains the impact of the launch of 988, a new national suicide prevention hotline. The phone number rolled out as the state adds funding for intensive crisis stabilization centers and mobile crisis centers. Dr. Sullivan speaks on the timeline for when the centers will be fully in place.

To hear these interviews, here is a list of how you can watch Empire State Weekly in your area of New York:

A schedule of where you can watch Empire State Weekly