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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Obama Declares National Emergency |
| 2009-10-24 |
| President Barack Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency. The White House on Saturday said Obama signed a proclamation that would allow medical officials to bypass certain federal requirements. Officials described the move as similar to a declaration ahead of a hurricane making landfall. Swine flu is more widespread now than it's ever been and has resulted in more than 1,000 U.S. deaths so far. Health authorities say almost 100 children have died from the flu, known as H1N1, and 46 states now have widespread flu activity. The White House said Obama signed the declaration on Friday evening. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #18 In other words Dale, people become Democrats.... (Sorry... couldn't help myself...) |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-10-24 23:51 |
| #17 Delightful, Dale! Where you perhaps thinking of that charming illustration in Through The Looking Glass? We had 11,000 people pre-registered at the Butler County Fairgrounds to get the free H1N1 vaccine this weekend, coming in from three states. Hamilton County is to do the same in the near future, I hear. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-10-24 22:09 |
| #16 President Barack Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency. I would love to hear Barry's definition of "national". |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-10-24 21:37 |
| #15 Hmmm... yeah... you're gonna want to stop comparing the One to common swine, or you'll end up at the front of the line at the secret vaccination camps. |
| Posted by: Hupeating Turkeyneck7655 2009-10-24 21:34 |
| #14 If it's so important why didn't the Obama administration make sure that there's a timely and sufficient supply of vaccine. Oh, my bad Obama's all about "big announcements" not action. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2009-10-24 20:25 |
| #13 I wondered what requirements they were talking about. According to the article: Administration officials said the declaration was 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. Then this bit at the end: "Many millions" of Americans have had swine flu so far, according to an estimate that CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden gave Friday. The government doesn't test everyone to confirm swine flu so it doesn't have an exact count. He also said there have been more than 20,000 hospitalizations. Now say by millions, that is 2 million. That means 1% of those who may, or may not, have had h1n1, had to go to hospital. Before I go on there are sick people out here as well, some feeling quite aweful (including my family) earlier than usual but then so is the winter weather. But this, at the moment, sounds more South Park than The Stand. How come there is nothing out about how this strain performed in the southern hemisphere last season? Perhaps, using this "!crises!", not reconcilliation, is the game play? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2009-10-24 18:35 |
| #12 Next he'll blow up a balloon and get the Nobel prize in Physics. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2009-10-24 17:28 |
| #11 oops! turn him into a hog one day. |
| Posted by: Dale 2009-10-24 16:24 |
| #10 We have a certain amount of confusion concerning how to identify H1N1. The flu behaves like any other flu in the beginning. Soon however it becomes clear as a pronounced snout appears coupled with a new accessory about six inches long protruding from ones hind parts. Then conformation is achieved with vocalizations similar to a grunt or snort with occasional squeals. The latter being most unnerving.I had the occasion recently to babysit a child that had all the aforementioned markers. I merely feed him acorns and he had a great hunger for junk foods. I did draw the line and warned him that his gluttony might turn into a hog one day. |
| Posted by: Dale 2009-10-24 16:22 |
| #9 I'm more concerned that there are federal regulations that prevent the medical profession from providing the medical care necessary without the declaration of an emergency by the President. They undoubtedly will be re-implemented after this "emergency" passes. Why? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-10-24 15:43 |
| #8 We'd like to think that H1N1 will pass and not kill hundreds of thousands but we don't know. Better safe than sorry. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-10-24 15:41 |
| #7 Cool! The "Fresh Prince of Bill Ayers" actually declares something. Maybe something in this to push his poll numbers? Or possibly just a practice lob? |
| Posted by: Uncle Phester 2009-10-24 15:05 |
| #6 Wait a minute, we don't know how bad it's going to be. A strong response will reduce it's impact considerably. What we do know is that people are pretty hyped up about it so we'll some silly excesses in the responses, but overall we're not as likely as other countries to see a big breakdown. I don't know what medical officals can do now that they couldn't do last week, but it's comforting to me that they do have a few more degrees of freedom. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-10-24 15:00 |
| #5 When does he start putting controls on travel, speech etc.? This ISN'T 1918 and this flu will be no worse than any other according to our doctors. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2009-10-24 13:58 |
| #4 They never declared an emergency when things started getting hot in Mexico. The Chicoms did. Big O. Always reactive. Never proactive in things that matter. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2009-10-24 13:27 |
| #3 Bet you H1N1 kills fewer than normal flu does, just like it did last time. I sure hope so. Our public health institutions remember 1918 when healthy young people would die within 12 hours of the first symptoms of that pandemic flu. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-10-24 13:20 |
| #2 Bet you H1N1 kills fewer than normal flu does, just like it did last time. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2009-10-24 12:36 |
| #1 Just another "crisis" to divert attention away from the health care, Afghanistan, falling dollar, slipping poll numbers, feuds with Fox News, Chamber of Commerce, etc. (feel free to add any other(s) you think are important)debacle(s) known as the Obama administration. |
| Posted by: WolfDog 2009-10-24 12:16 |