California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency Wednesday to deal with an outbreak of avian influenza (“bird flu”), sparking renewed criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, when he shut down the local economy.
In a statement, Newsom said:
Governor Gavin Newsom today proclaimed a State of Emergency to streamline and expedite the state’s response to Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as “Bird Flu.” This action comes as cases were detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California, signaling the need to further expand monitoring and build on the coordinated statewide approach to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus. The virus has spread in 16 states among dairy cattle, following its first confirmed detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024.
To date, no person-to-person spread of Bird Flu has been detected in California and nearly all infected individuals had exposure to infected cattle. California has already established the largest testing and monitoring system in the nation to respond to the outbreak.
This emergency proclamation will provide state and local agencies with additional flexibility around staffing, contracting, and other rules to support California’s evolving response.
Newsom’s declaration sparked responses on social media:
🚨@GavinNewsom just issued an Emergency Declaration over bird flu, which has only infected 34 in CA & NEVER spread person to person here.
— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) December 18, 2024
During COVID, he used this declaration to shut businesses/schools, issue mandates etc.
Who else doesn’t trust Newsom w/emergency powers? pic.twitter.com/jU6x5sRM1b
Bird flu has primarily affected raw milk supplies, with two recent recalls in the state.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
