WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Obama
administration on Sunday declared public health emergency, immediately after at
least 20 cases have been confirmed of swine flu in the United States.
The Department of Health and Human Services "will
declare today a public health emergency in the United States," Homeland Security
Secretary Janet Napolitano told a White House briefing.
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U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet
Napolitano speaks during a news briefing on the swine flu outbreak at
White House in Washington, capital of the United States, April 26, 2009.
The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday amid an outbreak of 20
confirmed cases of swine flu. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)
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Gallery>>> |
The emergency declaration was "standard operating
procedure," Napolitano said, adding the declaration will "allows us to use
medication and diagnostic tests that we might not otherwise be able to use,
particularly on very young children, and it releases funds for the acquisitions
of additional anti-virals."
Similar emergency declarations were issued for floods
in recent months in the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota and President
Barack Obama's inauguration in January, she said.
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Acting director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Richard Besser speaks during a press
briefing on the swine flu outbreak at White House in Washington, capital
of the United States, April 26, 2009. The U.S. declared a public health
emergency Sunday amid an outbreak of 20 confirmed cases of swine flu.
(Xinhua/Zhang Yan)
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According to the secretary, U.S. officials will begin
asking travelers about illness if they are entering the country from areas with
confirmed swine flu cases. Passengers won't be barred from getting into the
United States. But they could be referred for further testing.
"Travelers who do present with symptoms, if and when
encountered, will be isolated per established rules," she said.
"They will be provided both with personal protective
equipment and we'll continue to emphasize universal hand washing."
A total of 20 swine flu cases have been confirmed in
the United States, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention Richard Besser said in the same briefing.
The 20 cases confirmed so far are in New York, Ohio,
Kansas, Texas and California, Besser told a White House briefing. He also
expected more cases and more severe illness among Americans.
Besser says things are moving fast and that
authorities expect the virus to spread. But he assured Americans that health
officials are taking action to minimize its impact.
Backgrounder: Key facts about swine
flu
WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A new swine flu strain has killed as many as
20 people and sickened more than 1,300 across Mexico. Eleven U.S. people were
also confirmed to be infected with the virus.
The World Health Organization announced Saturday that the outbreak in Mexico
and the United States constituted a "public health emergency of international
concern."
Another five die of swine flu in
Mexico City
MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Five people have died of
swine flu in the last 24 hours in Mexico City, bringing the total of those
killed to 15 in the capital, Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, told media on
Sunday.
Ebrard said that 73 people were hospitalized with symptoms
consistent with swine flu in the capital. Authorities have separately said that
more than 1,300 have been hospitalized with such symptoms nationwide. Full story
Obama orders active measures to deal
with swine flu
WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack
Obama has ordered his administration to take active and aggressive measures to
deal with swine flu, which has infected at least 20 people in the United States.
As one of the measures, the administration declared a
public health emergency on Sunday. Full story
More swine flu cases crop up in
California
A total of seven swine flu cases have been reported so far
in California, indicating the potential for a swine flu pandemic, health
officials warned on Sunday.
Four cases were reported in San Diego County and three in
Imperial County, both in Southern California. The latest victim, a35-year-old
Imperial County woman diagnosed April 4, has since fully recovered, according to
the California Public Health Department. Full story
Spain reports three suspected cases of
swine flu
MADRID, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Health Minister
Trinidad Jimenez said on Sunday that three Spanish nationals had developed
symptoms similar to swine flu a few days after they returned from a Mexico trip.
Currently, the three were placed in isolation and treated
at different hospitals, said Jimenez. Full story
Two people in swine flue alert in
Scotland
LONDON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Two people have been admitted
to a hospital in Scotland after returning from Mexico on April 21 because they
displayed mild flu-like symptions, BBC reported here Sunday.
But the two patients were not giving cause for concern,
said Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon. She said there was "no immediate
threat to public health in Scotland." Full story
Canada confirms six cases of swine
flu
OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Six cases of swine flu have
now been found in Canada, health officials confirmed Sunday.
Four cases have been confirmed in the eastern Nova Scotia
province. The patients are high school students who recently traveled to Mexico.
All have minor symptoms and are recovering, provincial health officials said. Full story
Eight swine flu cases confirmed in New
York
NEW YORK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg said Sunday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
confirmed that eight high school students from city have been infected with
swine flu.
Bloomberg told a press conference the cases are mild and
that many are recovering. Full story
Report: Israeli man in hospital on
suspicion of swine flu
JERUSALEM, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A 26-year-old Israeli man
was hospitalized Sunday in Netanya after returning from Mexico with signs of
swine flu, local news service Ynet reported.
The man has been isolated and doctors are trying to
determine whether he has been infected with the swine flu virus, which has led
to the death of dozens of people in Mexico, said the report. Full story
WHO says world better prepared to deal
with possible pandemic
GENEVA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The world is now much better
prepared to deal with a possible pandemic than five years ago, a senior World
Health Organization (WHO) official said on Sunday.
"The past five years have put us in the best possible
position to handle this kind of situation," Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO
director-general for health security, told a telephone press conference on the
current threat of swine flu. Full story
World Bank provides Mexico with over
$200 mln to address swine flu
WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank is giving
Mexico more than 200 million U.S. dollar in loans to help the country tackle a
recent outbreak of swine flu, Mexican Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said
here Sunday.
Carstens said 25 million U.S. dollars will be used for
immediate needs like purchasing medicine and medical equipment, while another
180 million in loans will deal with long-term needs. Full story
Canada says well-prepared to handle
swine flu outbreak
OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Canada's Health Minister
Leona Aglukkaqon Sunday said the country is well-prepared to deal with the
outbreak of swine flu and pledged to take whatever measures to keep the public
safe.
The remarks came after six cases of swine flu were
confirmed in the country earlier Sunday. Full story
California on alert as swine flu death
toll increases in Mexico
LOS ANGELES, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Public health officials
in California on Sunday warned of the potential for a swine flu pandemic as the
death toll of the disease increased in Mexico and cases cropped up in the United
States.
A total of seven cases have been reported so far in
California, with four in San Diego County and three in Imperial County,
officials said. Full story
Mexico City takes measures against flu
outbreak
MEXICO CITY, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The municipal
government of the Mexico City Friday announced a series of immediate steps to
stop the flu outbreak in the city.
Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said at a press conference that
the main aim is to protect all the inhabitants of the city, especially
vulnerable people such as children and elders. Full story
WHO declares swine flu outbreak
"public health emergency"
GENEVA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The World Health
Organization (WHO)on Saturday declared the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the
United States a "public health emergency of international concern" and urged
countries to be alert.
Based on the advice of a WHO emergency committee,
Director-general Margaret Chan "has determined that the current events
constitute a public health emergency of international concern," the UN agency
said in a statement. Full story
China on alert to prevent swine flu
infection
BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China's General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued an
emergency notice Saturday night requiring people to report flu-like symptoms at
the point of entry when coming from the deadly swine flu affected places.
This is China's latest move in response to the
outbreaks of human infection of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United
States. Full story
Hong Kong to enhance surveillance at
boundary control points for Swine
Flu
HONG KONG, April 25 (Xinhua)
-- Hong Kong will step up local surveillance systems at boundary control points
and the public health laboratory in light of outbreaks of human infection of
Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United States, the Center for Health
Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health of Hong Kong announced on Saturday.
Travelers from the affected places who are found to have
Swine Influenza symptoms at Hong Kong's boundary control points will be taken to
hospitals for further investigation. Laboratory testing for Swine Influenza will
be conducted for patients with influenza-like-illness who had traveled to the
affected places within 7 days before onset of symptoms. Full story
Japan tightens measures against swine
flu threat after outbreak in Mexico
TOKYO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan has tightened
preventive measures against the threat of swine flu as the deadly outbreaks in
Mexico claimed more than 60 human lives.
At a meeting of ministry and agency section chiefs
Saturday, the government decided to strengthen measures to prevent the virulent
strain of swine flu from spreading to Japan and issued an advisory for travelers
to Mexico and the United States, where eight people were infected with the
disease, that urges precautions such as wearing masks and washing hands, and
called on all people returning from either country to report unusual
symptoms. Full story
S Korea to tighten quarantine measures
for U.S., Mexican pork
SEOUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean
government announced to tighten quarantine measures for pork from the United
States and Mexico after outbreaks of swine influenza in these countries, local
media reported on Sunday.
South Korea's National Veterinary Research and
Quarantine Service announced Saturday that U.S. and Mexican pork to be imported
from Monday will be put in quarantine to check if it was infected with the
disease. Full story
Australian health experts meet to
respond to swine-flu threat
CANBERRA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Australia's health
protection officials including chief medical officer Jim Bishop hold meetings on
Sunday to talk about how to guard the nation from the pig flu outbreak in Mexico
and the United States.
"Australia has good communicable disease surveillance
and control systems in place to detect and respond to outbreaks of illness," a
spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Ageing said. Full story
New Zealand school group quarantined
on return from Mexico
WELLINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A school group from
New Zealand's largest city of Auckland was being quarantined at home after
returning from Mexico, New Zealand media reported on Sunday.
An emergency decree has been declared in Mexico
following the outbreak of a new flu virus suspected of killing 81 people there.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreaks of influenza-like
illness in Mexico and four U.S. states as a "public health emergency of
international concern". Full story
