More than 10,000 cases have been confirmed on the island, including infections in over 1,000 pregnant women, and dozens more are reported each day.

The Zika virus has been an international threat for months, but only recently, after it spread, is it of concern. The reluctance of officials to deem it dangerous caused a lack of concern among the people, which ultimately perpetuated the spread because people did not protect themselves from the virus. The irony is, now tourism will probably most likely fall because no one wants to contract the virus. Had it been dealt with before hand, and had the public been accurately forewarned of the true dangers the virus posed, fall in tourism could have been a short-lived, and by now, distant memory.

It is understandable why officials did not want to create panic, but the consequences of their choices have resulted in a situation that ultimately will cause a lot more panic, not to mention health problems and risks.

Source: U.S. Declares Zika an Emergency in Puerto Rico – The New York Times