President Obama Declares Swine Flu a National Emergency

Posted on October 24, 2009 by Lolita Carrico

President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect non-infected patients.

Over 1,000 people in the United States have died from the swine flu, the strain of flu known as H1N1. There is major flu outbreaks in 46 states.

The President signed the declaration about swine flu on Friday night and announced it on Saturday.  Administration officials said the President made this declaration as a pre-emptive move designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made. Officials said the move was not in response to any single development.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius now has authority to bypass federal rules when opening alternative care sites, such as offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers if hospitals seek permission.  Hospitals in areas hit hard by the swine flu have opened drive-thrus and drive-up tent clinics to screen and treat swine flu patients. The idea is to keep infectious people out of regular emergency rooms and away from other sick patients.

The new declaration gives hospitals the ability to modify patient rules — for example, requiring them to give less information during a hectic time — to quicken access to treatment.